Agenda item

Councillor Goldspink presented her motion on notice. Councillor Marlow seconded the motion.

 

At this point in the meeting, as it was approaching 10pm, Councillor Glover-Ward proposed a motion that the meeting took a short break and continue past 10pm. Councillor Deering seconded the motion. Having been proposed and seconded, the motion was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED – that the meeting took a short break and continued past 10pm.

 

Members supported the motion but felt it did not go far enough, noting the seriousness of the issue and the use of advertising and celebrity endorsements and football clubs in promotions.

 

Members recognised the devastating impact of gambling addiction on families, particularly young people and criticised the role of algorithms in targeting vulnerable individuals.

 

Councillor Watson proposed the following amendment:

 

Amend point b) of the resolution as follows:

 

• Replace point b) restricting and reducing the amount of gambling advertising and sponsorship of sporting events and ending all pre-watershed gambling advertising.

 

• With: b) “ban gambling advertising and sponsorship of sporting events and end all gambling advertising. (The WHO recommends ending this advertising altogether)”

 

Councillor Glover-Ward seconded the amendment.

 

Members received a personal account which detailed the effects of gambling and supported the amendment to ban all gambling advertising.

 

Having been proposed and seconded, the amendment to point b) was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

 

Seeking to further strengthen the resolution, Councillor Horner proposed the following amendment to the motion:

 

Amend the resolution as follows:

 

• Replace East Herts District Council therefore resolves to write to the Westminster Government, calling on it to:

 

1) give District Councils much wider powers to regulate Gambling,

by:-

 

a) mandating financial checks so as to prevent gambling beyond means.

 

b) ban gambling advertising and sponsorship of sporting events and end all gambling advertising. (The WHO recommends ending this advertising altogether)

 

2) increase the remote gaming duty from 21% to 42% and to use some of the funds from this to help with treatment for those who suffer from addiction to gambling.

 

We authorise the Leader of EHDC to write to the Parliamentary Secretary of State for Public Health to convey this message.

 

• With: East Herts District Council therefore resolves to write to the Westminster Government, calling on it to:

 

1) give District Councils much wider powers to regulate Gambling.

 

2) mandate financial checks so as to prevent gambling beyond means.

 

3) ban gambling advertising and sponsorship of sporting events and end all gambling advertising. (The WHO recommends ending this advertising altogether).

 

4) increase the remote gaming duty from 21% to 42% and to use some of the funds from this to help with treatment for those who suffer from addiction to gambling.

We authorise the Leader of EHDC to write to the Parliamentary Secretary of State for Public Health to convey this message.

 

Councillor Watson seconded the amendment.

 

Having been proposed and seconded, the amendment was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

 

Members continued to discuss the importance of using the Council’s position to make representations to the government regarding gambling, calling for stronger protections and increased taxation on gambling activities.

 

Additionally, Members affiliated with parties that had accepted donations from gambling interests were urged to use their influence to address the issue within their own political groups.

 

The motion to support the amended resolution having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED – that this Council acknowledges its statutory duty to adopt and publish a statement of Licensing Principles under the Gambling Act 2005, and to review it every 3 years. The Council is the local Licensing Authority for non-remote gambling.

 

This Council notes with concern that there is an estimated one gambling-related suicide every day in the United Kingdom. Gambling is now determined to be one of 6 key risk factors for suicide in the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. Problem gambling is a serious Health issue.

 

As well as suicide risk, there are other damaging effects of problem gambling, such as loss of money, mounting debt, loss of employment, damaging impact on children, family breakdown and loss of homes. We note that there is a Hertfordshire Gambling Harms Alliance which brings together Public Health, Local Authorities, NHS and Community Organisations. This alliance is developing a strategy to reduce these gambling-related harms, but it lacks any power to enforce any measures, or to control the gambling industry in any way.

 

East Herts District Council therefore resolves to write to the Westminster Government, calling on it to:

 

1)    give District Councils much wider powers to regulate Gambling.

 

2)    mandate financial checks so as to prevent gambling beyond means.

 

3)    ban gambling advertising and sponsorship of sporting events and end all gambling advertising. (The WHO recommends ending this advertising altogether).

 

4)    increase the remote gaming duty from 21% to 42% and to use some of the funds from this to help with treatment for those who suffer from addiction to gambling.

 

We authorise the Leader of EHDC to write to the Parliamentary Secretary of State for Public Health to convey this message.