London borough councillors in Brent are presenting a gambling harms case aimed at reducing the amount of betting venues. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Leaders want action

Elected community leaders in a County of London borough dubbed the ‘Las Vegas of UK’ are seeking a raft of curbs aimed at tackling gambling addictions.

Senior members of North London’s Brent Council are heading to the House of Commons next week to give evidence of the risks associated with gambling. 

The representatives from the north-west London borough, which includes Wembley Stadium within its boundaries, took to X earlier this week to share the six gambling reforms they’re pushing for:   

At the Commons, the councillors will present Brent’s case to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Gambling Harms chaired by Sir Iain Duncan-Smith, the former UK Prime Minister and one of the country’s highest profile anti-gambling campaigners. 

Along with Wembley, Brent includes the district of Harlesden, which hosts six gambling venues within a 600-meter radius. 

Arguments prepared

Brent Council’s Deputy Leader Milli Patel and its Chair of the Planning Committee, Matt Kelcher, are acting on residents’ concerns regarding the mushrooming of gambling premises in the London borough. 

According to MyLondon, Brent passed a “unanimous motion in September […] on gambling harms in the community.”

Patel and Kelcher will present evidence to the APPG in response to  a letter Brent sent to Labour’s new Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy demanding multiple reforms.

threaten the community’s welfare and safety”

Among the six demands are calls to grant more power to local authorities so they can reject gambling-linked applications that “threaten the community’s welfare and safety,” and a ban on gambling ads, marketing promotions, and sponsorships.

Another demand is for gambling venues to be restricted to occupying 3% of central commercial zones within Brent. The current designation splits bingo halls, adult entertainment centers, and sportsbooks. The reformers want to lump the three verticals under one gambling category.

In the 600-meter stretch of Harlesden under scrutiny, there are four different sportsbook venues and two adult gaming centers. 

Power shift

Brent deputy Patel talked up her party Labour’s coming to power, stating it was “time to strengthen the arm of local government and reform the desperately outdated Gambling Act.”

Patel added her committee’s move to submit evidence to the APPG was aimed at “putting power back in the hands of the community and keeping our high streets healthy and safe.”

The Brent exec also welcomed Labour’s recent move to exert a statutory levy on profits for all gambling operators. Patel stated the levy represented: “a bold first step from a government serious about tackling the issues of harmful gambling.”