Local democracy

Agenda item

GAMBLING IN THE BRADFORD DISTRICT

The Strategic Director Place will submit a report (Document “E”) which provides an update on action taken regarding problem gambling and gambling related harm within the district, following the meeting of the Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 21 March 2019.

 

Recommended –

 

The committee is invited to comment on the current draft Local Area Profile and other action points detailed at Section 2 of Document “E”.

 

(Tracy McLuckie - 01274 432240)

 

Minutes:

The Strategic Director Place submitted a report (Document “E”) which provided an update on action taken regarding problem gambling and gambling related harm within the district, following the meeting of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 21 March 2019.

 

The Licensing and Local Land Charges Manager updated Members on the actions that had been taken since the 21 March meeting, which were detailed in the report. 

 

During the discussion Members asked a number of questions, the questions together with the responses are detailed below:

 

In response to a question on how Members could be more involved in relation to the issue of problem gambling, it was explained that training on the subject matter could be provided via the Members training officer.

 

In relation to the timing of Gambling Awareness Week, a Member stated that it would be better to have this in the lead up to one of the major horseracing schedules such as Ascot, Cheltenham or the Grand National, as it would raise greater awareness around the issue.  In addition he also commented that self exclusion from bookmakers did not include casinos.

 

A representative from William Hill was present at the meeting and he acknowledged that it would make more sense to have Gambling Awareness Week during one of the larger racing schedules.

 

A Member commented that the issue of the number of betting shops in the city centre skewed the statistics and the age profile.  In addition it was highlighted in the report that not much evidence had been found that there was a problem regarding underage gambling.  In response it was explained that spot checks were undertaken by the licensing team and in addition, staff were well trained to deal with underage gambling.

 

A Member stressed that one of the main areas of gambling activity was online, which was particularly difficult to monitor and police effectively. Another Member stated that this was a national issue which Government was finding difficulties grappling with, and therefore the Council had to be focused on what we could done locally to effectively deal with problem gambling.

 

In relation to the issue of self exclusion, the representative from William Hill explained that although this worked in some cases, its effectiveness was limited and required further enhancements in technology for it to be more effective.  A Member stated that in his experience self exclusion only had  limited effectiveness and that it varied from shop to shop, and what was really required was an industry wide protocol to effectively deal with the issue.

 

The representative from William Hill stated that in terms of self exclusion staff were trained to spot problem gambling and any erratic gambling behaviour would be dealt with by staff, such as an individual staking a large bet or a number of losing bets.  The Licensing Manager acknowledged that as part of the licensing regime, how staff interacted with customers was looked at.  In addition there was a social responsibility code which operators had to adhere to and this covered the issue of self exclusion.  The Gambling Commission could also look into any breaches in the social responsibility code, which included self exclusion.

 

A Member stated that the gambling industry saw individuals as pound signs  and although we have been told about self exclusion and that staff were trained to spot issues, the fact of the matter was that people were still betting big and that the industry were aware of this and turning a blind eye to the issue.

 

The representative from William Hill stressed that staff were trained to deal with issues around problem gambling as well as interact with customers. 

 

A Member stated that staff in betting establishments had to sometimes endure verbal and physical abuse and that problem gambling was not always about large amounts of money, as small amounts could still allude to a problem.  In addition there needed to be a recognition that problem gambling also existed in those who frequented casinos, amusement arcades and bingo establishments, so a holistic approach needed to be developed across all forms of gambling.

 

A former gambling addict was present at the meeting to give an account of his experiences.  During an emotional testimony he alluded to how gambling had left him in huge debt and how the industry took no responsibility for the harm and misery it caused.  He added that self exclusion was a red herring and not effective.  That he was not anti gambling, however the industrial scale of gambling and the upsurge in online gambling needed curbing as this could be best described as the ‘wild west’, and that the industry was well versed in producing products to suit different clientele and this in turm had seen a huge upsurge in gambling and problem gambling, resulting in huge financial and social costs.  He urged that better, more effective regulation was needed as a matter of urgency.

 

Members were in agreement that more effective controls needed to be in place to tackle the issue of problem gambling and developed further in Bradford, and it was therefore:

 

Resolved –

 

(1)       That this Committee requests that the final Local Area Profile be            presented to this Committee at its meeting on 14 November 2019.

 

(2)       That this Committee requests that a cross departmental and cross       organisational plan be presented to this Committee on 14       November 2019, which focuses specifically on the issues             identified in the Local Area Profile and also identifies other          potential populations that could be deemed to be at risk.

 

(3)       That this Committee requests that representations from treatment        services and the Gambling Commission be requested to attend         the meeting in November 2019.

 

(4)       That this Committee requests that the Executive consider           organising a cross sector group conference to examine the issue          of problem gambling in the Bradford district and to also explore             local solutions.

 

ACTION:       Strategic Director Place

 

Supporting documents: