The Director of Public Health will submit a report (Document “X”) which describes the current evidence-base on the impact of gambling, local data relating to gambling and problem gambling/ gambling-related harms, and details a cross-departmental action plan describing our regional and local work to prevent and treat harms arising from gambling.

Recommended –

The Committee is asked to note contents of the report. The views and feedback of the Committee on the proposals set out in section 3 to Document “X” are requested.

(Sarah Exall  - 07855 177158)

The Director of Public Health submitted a report (Document “X”) which described the current evidence-base on the impact of gambling, local data relating to gambling and problem gambling/ gambling-related harms, and details a cross-departmental action plan describing our regional and local work to prevent and treat harms arising from gambling.

It was stated that representatives from Public Health, Children’s’ Social Care, the Youth Service, Licencing, and Adult’s Social Care had jointly developed and agreed on actions to prevent and treat harms resulting from gambling. This plan will be a live and iterative document, enabling actions to be expanded and refined in response to new data, policy and evidence.

This working group will continue to meet in 2022, to jointly own and implement the plan. We are also engaging with partners and stakeholders from outside the core working group for specific actions including The NHS Northern Gambling Service, Bradford Institute for Health Research, and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

In addition, Bradford Public Health are currently working closely with partners at Yorkshire and the Humber level on a regional programme to take a Public Health approach to gambling-related harm. This covers data and intelligence, education and prevention, and interventions to tackle gambling-related harm.

The programme of work has funding from the Gambling Commission and will run for three years, incorporating an evaluation of the interventions implemented. The steering group for this work includes people from national and regional OHID, Local Authority Public Health representatives (including Bradford), representatives from the Association of Directors of Public Health, and clinicians from the NHS Northern Gambling Service in Leeds.

In addition to tackling gambling-related harm and problem gambling at regional level, this work will inform local actions by helping to develop the evidence-base for actions detailed in the local cross-departmental action plan set out in the report

During the discussion, a Member stated that during the pandemic, there had been a significant surge in online gambling; adding that the definition of problem gambling had to be clear, with individual circumstances playing a vital role in those having a gambling problem, and that sometimes even small bets could be a sign of a bigger problem, in that an individual has spent their last pound.

A Member stressed that a key component is how we get the message across to young people, parents and carers and also simplifying the self-barring process, as well as acknowledging that entry level gambling in the form of scratch cards and free spins was a particular area of concern amongst the young.

A number of Members expressed concerns at the increase number of gambling licences that had been granted in recent years and the impact of this had been significant. 

A Member stated that it may be worth looking at how the Councils Planning, Legal and Licensing teams could better work jointly to use all the powers available to them, where there are concerns over particular gambling premises, which could also be causing problems to communities as a result of gambling.

A Member expressed concern how the proliferation of the advertising of bingo sites on TV, enticed people to start gambling and that this was a worrying trend.

A Member stated that another area of concern was gambling amongst those groups where there was an added cultural/religious stigma, and that because of this stigma there was a greater reluctance to access help and support, and it was therefore important that we looked at ways of how we could address this.

Resolved –

(1)       This Committee requests that the progress against the gambling         cross-departmental actions plan, be presented to the Committee         in 12 months, which also includes:

§  Clear outcomes;

§  Educational awareness programmes being undertaken.

(2)       The Committee requests that Bradford Councils Planning, Legal          and Licensing teams work jointly to use all the powers available to them, if there are concerns over particular gambling premises,   which could also be causing problems to communities as a result             of gambling.

ACTION: Director of Public Health