Skip to main content

Agenda item

DCMS CONSULTATION ON PROPOSALS FOR CHANGES TO GAMING MACHINES AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEASURES UNDER THE GAMBLING ACT 2005

Report of the Director of Public Protection and Licensing.

Minutes:

4.1      The Committee received a report summarising the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s (‘DCMS’) Consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures under the Gambling Act 2005.  Mr Simpkin, introducing the item, stated that the headline in the Consultation was the proposal to reduce the maximum stake for B2 gaming machines (Fixed Odds Betting Terminals) from £100 down to a figure between £2 and £50.  The Licensing Service would be formulating a draft response to DCMS’ Consultation that would be forwarded to the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage.  Views from the Committee were welcomed until 5 January 2018 prior to the submission of the draft response to the Cabinet Member.  The Council’s final response would be sent to DCMS before the 23 January 2018 deadline.

 

4.2      Mr Simpkin advised that aside from the headline item relating to the B2 gaming machines, there were a number of other important matters referred to in the Consultation particularly in terms of the Licensing Service’s work to protect the vulnerable.  He explained that B3 gaming machines in bookmakers were also shown to have a significant impact on the vulnerable.  Whilst DCMS were not proposing to specifically change how the B3 machines operated, (the stake was currently £2) there was an impact which was set out in their documentation.  Mr Simpkin said that this needed to be included in the Council’s response, pointing to the Licensing Service’s work on vulnerability to gambling addiction locally.        

 

4.3      Mr Simpkin also drew the Committee’s attention to other matters set out in the report relating to the Consultation including converted casinos and also social responsibility measures, such as the advertising of online gambling.  

 

4.4      Members of the Committee were keen to explore how the vulnerable in terms of gambling addiction could be better protected.  The Chairman and Councillor Hyams noted that the Association of British Bookmakers’ code on social responsibility had introduced voluntary measures that players could select to limit their spend and the time they play the B2 gaming machines.  However, only 0.5% of machine sessions in the first month after its implementation included a voluntary time and money limit.  It was felt that this area could be strengthened as could technology in order to identify problem gamblers.  The Chairman recommended that contactless debit or credit cards were not permitted for gaming use as research had shown that it did not have the same effect as passing over coins or notes.  Mr Simpkin advised that it was not currently possible to use a debit or credit card for a gaming machine.  The Government continued to support this position.  The industry was proposing the potential use of debit and credit cards.  Mr Simpkin also stated that the Licensing Service had previously looked at the ability to track data on gaming machines in order to check whether those using the machines were reaching a limit in terms of what they could afford.  At the moment those using gaming machines were anonymous, in contrast to online gaming where users had accounts.  He added that this could be included in the response to the DCMS consultation.   

 

4.5      Mr Simpkin said that Westminster was leading the way on protecting the vulnerable from gambling addiction and he expected the response to the DCMS to be quite detailed, taking into account the work undertaken and that it was known where the localised areas of problem gambling are.  There would also be a significant refresh in 2018 of Westminster’s licensing policy associated with gambling to reflect the work undertaken.  There had been success on the part of the Council in respect of major licensing applications for betting shops where a more stringent approach had been taken due to higher levels of vulnerability to gambling addiction in localised areas of the borough.  The Committee supported the inclusion of the more detailed work in the Consultation response.  Councillor Scarborough referred to the issues with clustering of betting shops in Edgware Road and the Chairman referred to the research which had taken place in South Westminster.     

 

4.6      Members, including Councillors Gassanly, Caplan and Freeman, requested that whilst the vulnerable needed to be protected, it should also be reflected in the response to the Consultation that their constituents live in a free society where gambling is permitted, including the national lottery.  It also needed to be recognised that the majority of gambling was online which is not regulated by the Licensing Authority.  Mr Simpkin made the point that the Council was seen positively by the gambling industry.  It took an evidence based approach and was only more stringent if there was seen to be a real risk to the vulnerable.

 

4.7      The Committee strongly supported that the maximum stake for B2 gaming machines should be £2 in order to protect the vulnerable. 

 

4.8      RESOLVED: That the views of the Committee at the meeting and any further views from Members of the Committee made prior to 5 January 2018 be taken into account in the Council’s formal response to the DCMS Consultation.

 

 

Supporting documents: