Dawn Butler, MP for Brent East, expressed her frustration over the rise of gambling establishments in Brent, which now outnumber supermarkets and schools. She criticized the outmoded Gambling Act that hinders council powers to refuse applications for new betting shops. Butler highlighted the addictive nature of fixed odds betting terminals and their broad impact on families. In response, Brent Council has proposed a six-point strategy for reform, including categorizing gambling establishments and introducing new regulations to safeguard local economies. Butler's efforts culminate in a formal objection against a proposed bingo hall in her constituency.
Brent has more licensed gambling establishments, 81, than supermarkets and schools combined, prompting MP Dawn Butler to call for reforms to the outdated Gambling Act.
Every time a shop closes, a gambling establishment tries to put up a betting shop there. This trend is harming our high streets and local communities.
The fixed odds betting terminals are more addictive than heroin, impacting not just the gambler but at least seven other people close to them.
Brent Council’s six-point plan aims to protect communities by categorizing gambling premises, considering household debt, and introducing a statutory levy on gambling companies.
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