City gambling policy plan is approved

BETTING PREMISES COULD BE MONITORED

Councillors have let through a policy monitoring new betting premises in Sunderland, despite concerns from gambling bosses.

This week, Sunderland City Council’s (SCC) licensing committee agreed to their latest draft “statement of principles” under the Gambling Act 2005.

Councils are expected to refer to Government policies to prevent gambling being a source of crime, alongside ensuring its fairness and protecting vulnerable people/children from harm or exploitation.

During consultation, the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) claimed the “relevant affluence” of an area should not be used when assessing risks.

And it accused the council of making advance judgements about the types of people most likely to commit a crime.

In a letter to the council, the ABB said: “The relevant affluence of an area has no bearing on any of the three licensing objectives unless the licensing authority has pre-determined that persons in certain income groups are either vulnerable or more likely to commit crime.” However, SCC refused to back down over challenges to a suggestion it could bring in area-specific policies with officers conceding there was “no evidence” the changes would have a ‘negative impact’.

While the ABB claimed such rules would be unlawful, the council’s proposal states the rules would not bar applications for an area, with every application decided on its own merits.

Following a presentation by licensing officer at Sunderland Civic Centre, the council’s Licensing Committee approved the draft document.

All councils must publish a document every three years indicating how gambling premise applications are decided. The latest draft policy is also subject to full council approval.