GAMBLING POLICY TO BE TABLED FOR APPROVAL (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

Kirklees Liberal Democrats <info@kirkleeslibdems.org.uk>

GAMBLING POLICY TO BE TABLED FOR APPROVAL

November 10, 2006 12:01 AM

GAMBLING POLICY TO BE TABLED FOR APPROVAL

On Wednesday afternoon, the Tory led Cabinet on Kirklees Council is going to recommend the authorities Gambling Policy for approval at the next full council meeting (29.11.06).

The authority has to publish a gambling policy (or "statement of principles") by 31 January 2007 in response to the changes brought in by the Labour Government under The Gambling Act (2005) (which constitutes the first major changes to gambling law in the UK in 40 years).

Under the Act, Kirklees (and every other local authority) will become responsible for allowing casinos, betting offices and tracks, bingo clubs, adult gaming and family entertainment centres to set up shop in the area. It will also have to issue permits for gaming machines in pubs and clubs.

Cllr John Smithson (Lib Dem Deputy Leader) has urged fellow local politicians to approach this new responsibility with extreme caution saying that high stakes will have to be paid by local people and services if mistakes are made.

Cllr Smithson says: "This is a very important role for the council to be taking on and caution must be exercised".

Cllr Smithson says: "I would recommend a very careful approach be taken when deciding if a casino or any other gambling establishment be allowed to set up shop in the area."

Cllr Smithson says: "Increasing the number of places where people can get involved in gambling will inevitably lead to an increase in the number of people with gambling problems. The Joint Lords and Commons Committee report on the draft Bill took this view (1) and the recent reports in the media documenting the problems people are getting into with online gambling should make the obvious painfully clear (2). If you make gambling more accessible, more people take part and more people get into difficulty".

Cllr Smithson says: "And gambling doesn't just mean personal loss and suffering for the individual either, it leads to divorce, crime, domestic breakdown, family neglect. These are terrible things that we as local politicians should be helping people to avoid, not encouraging in our communities.

Cllr Smithson concluded: "There might be some financial benefit to having, for example, a casino locally but these have to be balanced with the cost in terms of people's lives as well as the increased burden on the local services when they have to pick up the pieces"