The Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) have urged the Government to impose stricter regulation on the country’s gambling industry amid rising gambling-related harm concerns. The two organisations hope that such steps will be taken into consideration by the Government as part of its review of the 2005 Gambling Act.
The aforementioned concerns originate from recent research that found that almost a quarter (21%) of retail gambling outlets in the UK are situated in financially disadvantaged areas, exposing the individuals living there at increased risk of being affected by negative consequences associated with gambling. Both the LGA and APCC claim that the local councils should be given the power to suspend the establishment of more such venues in poor areas, especially when it comes to locations in close proximity to schools and addiction-treatment centres.
Neil Caliskan, who chairs the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, explained that she was not against the gambling industry as a whole but believed that the Government should make the safety of people and protection against gambling-related harm a priority.
Ms Caliskan believes that the fact local councils are given very limited powers in terms of protection against gambling-related harm is scandalous. According to her, the ongoing review of the 2005 Gambling Act is “a golden opportunity” for the Government to adopt tougher measures so that local communities and their elected representatives are given the power to determine the number of gambling premises that should be allowed to operate in their local areas.
The Government Must Protect People from Gambling-Related Harm, LGA and APCC Say
As mentioned above, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners has also suggested that stricter rules should be imposed on the UK gambling sector. Joy Allen and David Sidwick, who are joint leads for addictions and substance misuse, noted that victims of gambling-related harm often get involved in criminal activity and called for further action on the matter.
Ms Allen and Mr Sidwick explained that problem gambling can result in much harm not only to the individual but also to society, so the authorities had to make sure that they provide the necessary support to those affected by gambling and gambling-related harm. They share the Local Government Association’s opinion that councils should be granted the power to take measures to tackle gambling addiction rates, as well as another concern of Ms Caliskan, related to the increasing volume of gambling ads displayed on TV and social media channels.
Both the LGA and the APCC have noted that vulnerable people are commonly lured into gambling by various marketing tricks and campaigns of the operators that promise them special bonuses or free bets. The two organisations believe that even people who try to take advantage of the available self-exclusion option and ban themselves from gambling sometimes turn back to the dangerous practice because of attractive ads. That is exactly why the Local Government Association demanded stricter control of gambling advertisements, especially when it comes to TV channels and online platforms that are usually visited by underage individuals.
Furthermore, the two organisations backed a previous proposal of a mandatory statutory levy to be imposed on gambling companies operating in the UK. As part of the proposal, the funds gathered as a result of the extra levy are to be used as additional funding to various gambling support clinics on the territory of the country.
- Author
Daniel Williams
