Spent 3 hours last night reviewing a gambling license. Not everyone realises how limited councils are in relation to gambling licensing. Residents with objections have few grounds to appeal for a review and most betting shops have the financial resources to counter objections. We cannot take into account that there may be several shops in the same parade, for example. The London Borough of Newham recently lost a court case with a betting shop and called for government action to stem the tide of gambling “clusters” on high streets. The Gambling Act introduces three licensing objectives which underpin the functions of the commission and the council and limits our response:
Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime
Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way
Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
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