Brent Council has declared a 'gambling emergency' and is calling for every lawful tool available to create 'a hostile environment' against further growth of the gambling industry in the borough. The motion, passed at a Full Council meeting on July 6, commits the council to launching a 'Gambling Harms Strategy' to combat the proliferation of premises, often situated in deprived areas.
Public Health Emergency Declared
The local authority suggests gambling harm should be treated as 'a serious public health emergency', following a recent assessment that identified financial, health, and social costs locally, including links to debt, poor mental health, family breakdown, crime, and inequality. Tabled by Kingsbury Councillor Jasbinder Bajwa, the motion received cross-party support and outlines a joined-up approach across licensing, planning, public health, community safety, schools, debt advice, and resident support.
81 Gambling Premises in Brent
There are currently 81 licensed gambling premises in Brent. The council, alongside 40 other local authorities and MPs, has been running a national campaign advocating for gambling reform to give councils more power to refuse harmful applications. Opposition parties have also campaigned against the number of premises, including a recent demonstration by Green councillors outside a former bank on Walm Lane in Willesden, which was subject to an application for an adult gaming centre licence. The application, which already had 19 gambling businesses within a 1.7-mile radius, was refused by the council, potentially setting a precedent for similar proposals.
Councillor Calls for Stronger Powers
Cllr Bajwa said: 'Residents should not have to watch their high streets permeated with gambling premises while councils are left with limited powers to act, and where residents and councils do not want gambling premises, they should have the power to say no. With 81 licensed gambling premises in Brent, it is easier to find a betting shop or adult gaming centre than a supermarket. Any limited business activity these premises bring is far outweighed by the wider harm they cause. The growth of the gambling industry should not be supported in our borough and that every lawful tool available should be used to create a hostile environment to its entrenchment.'
Government Reforms and Next Steps
The government is introducing Gambling Impact Assessments to empower local authorities to limit over-concentration of betting shops and gambling premises. As part of Brent's declaration, the council is urging the government to set a date for implementation 'as soon as possible' to prevent operators from rushing applications under the old regime. Brent Council has also agreed to write to major landowners in Wembley to emphasise opposition to gambling advertising and the normalisation of gambling in public spaces, and to continue working with residents, MPs, other councils, and campaigners to push for a new Gambling Act that puts public health first.
Freedom from Harm
Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, Cllr Liz Dixon, said: 'The motion is labelled gambling harms immersion, and rightly so, but the conversation really is about something more fundamental, [...] It's freedom from harm. Freedom from an industry that too often profits from vulnerability, from financial distress, from isolation, and from addiction. It's often a hidden addiction, there's a psychological harm to it. You can't always see it, but the families can see it, they're the ones who often suffer from it.'
