Cllr John Woolf

THEY say the house always wins and bookmakers holds some of the key cards when it comes to opening up new betting shops in Islington.

This was the warning from councillors who want the new Labour government to hand local authorities greater power to restrict the number of places to gamble in any one area.

Community safety chief Councillor John Woolf told Thursday’s full council meeting: “We’re bound by the Gambling Act which, if I may, looks like it was written by Paddy Power, and it has that very pernicious aim-to-permit clause which makes it very hard for local authorities to resist new applications.”

Islington has rejected applications for new bookmakers but then face planning battles as operators can appeal those decisions.

The call for more powers comes amid concerns that more and more people are being drawn into gambling amid the cost-of-living crisis and then ending up in even more debt.

Cllr Woolf said: “Gambling is a public health issue and anyone can become victim to gambling related harms and addictive gambling and we know that those harms are manifold.

“They can involve increased crime, antisocial behaviour, theft, robbery, domestic abuse.

“As a small borough with high levels of deprivation and as a council absolutely committed to equality and creating a safer space for all, we’re determined to do all that we can to tackle gambling-related harms.”

He added that he had asked licensing and planning officers to “undertake a deep dive into recent applications to better understand how the council can more robustly defend its positions on such issues”.

Cllr Woolf had been taking questions from his Labour colleague Sara Hyde, who said she wanted Islington to work with new culture secretary Lisa Nandy to provide more control.

Islington has already ruled it will not grant any casino licences and has called for a ban on gambling advertisements on public transport similar to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s bar on the promotion of fatty or sugary foods on the tube.

Matt Smith of Islington charity BetKnowMore, which has been working with the council, said last year: “We know gambling has a huge stigma attached to it, people don’t want to talk about it. Over the past few years, people have become more comfortable talking about alcohol and drugs, but not gambling.”

Paddy Power, the operator mentioned by Cllr Woolf, said it was committed to keeping customers safe and “spreads the word” about safer gambling and ways for people to stay in control of their betting. “We’re pumping time and effort into new technology and creating a learning culture to make safe play the Paddy Power way,” it said.”

The outgoing Conservative government had limited stakes on computer roulette machines in betting shops and was proposing more “affordability” checks.

Support is available

IF you are struggling and feel like there is nowhere to turn, GamCare offers free information, support and counselling for people who have problems with gambling in the UK.

It runs the National Gambling Helpline (0808 802 0133) and also offers face-to-face counselling. The helpline is free and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.