Agenda item - Gambling Act 2005 - Review of Gambling Policy 2019-21

skip navigation and tools

Agenda item

Gambling Act 2005 - Review of Gambling Policy 2019-21

Report of the Director, Neighbourhoods, Communities and Housing (copy attached)

Decision:

RESOLVED – (1) That members approve the final version of the Statement of Gambling Policy (Appendix 1); and

 

            (2) That the final Statement of Gambling Policy is presented to Full Council.

 

Minutes:

19.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director of Neighbourhoods, Communities and Housing detailing the Gambling Act 2005 review of Gambling Policy which had taken place which had led to the production the statement for 2019-21 which was now requested for approval.

 

19.2    It was noted that the Gambling Act 2005 required Licensing Authorities to prepare, every three years, a statement (also known as a Policy) of the principles which they proposed to apply when exercising their functions, and that they must publish the statement following the procedure set out in the Act, including whom they should consult.

 

19.3    The Chair, Councillor O’Quinn commended the report, referring to the fact that Brighton & Hove’s gambling policies had been highlighted by the Gambling Commission as an exemplar of good practice. This was a testament to the hard work of the Regulatory Services Manager and the council’s officer’s and it was very positive that the work carried out in the city was widely recognised.

 

19.4    Councillor Morris sought confirmation regarding measures in place to ensure that minors did not have access to machines/games which were not age appropriate. It was explained that this was heavily proscribed and that it was required that notices indicating age and criteria for use were displayed. Work undertaken by the Gambling Commission had indicated that in some instances there was a high failure rate in public houses and work had been undertaken with breweries and holding companies to address this. Warning notices were sent and other actions taken as appropriate.

 

19.5    Councillor Page expressed concern regarding measures in place to seek to protect vulnerable adults in view of the fact that legislative changes in this respect had been delayed. It was explained that the measures in place in the city were robust, however the licensing authority and operators were required to recognise and balance some customers need for privacy against the need for appropriate levels of supervision.

 

19.6    Councillor Deane enquired whether any delay would arise when updating and publishing the final version of the policy. It was confirmed that the document would be made available to view/download from the Council website as soon as it had been updated.

 

19.7    RESOLVED – (1) That the final version of the Statement of Gambling Policy as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved and presented to Full Council; and

 

            (2) RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL – That the final Statement of Gambling Policy as set out in Appendix 1 as presented be approved and adopted as Council policy.

Supporting documents:

 


Brighton & Hove City Council | Hove Town Hall | Hove | BN3 3BQ | Tel: (01273) 290000 | Mail: info@brighton-hove.gov.uk | how to find us | comments & complaints