The Head of Community Services submitted a report and accompanying appendices to the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee on 19 September 2018 setting out the revised Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy to take effect from 31 January 2019.

The report and relevant appendices and the draft minutes of the meeting are attached.

The Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee agreed all recommendations in the report and resolved to recommend to Council adopt the final draft of the policy presented here.

Councillor Cook, the Chair of the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee, will present the report and the policy.

Recommendation: the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee recommends that Council resolves to:

adopt the Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy attached to the report on this agenda with effect from 31 January 2019.

Council considered a report of the Head of Community Services, submitted to Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee on 19 September 2018, setting out the revised Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy to take effect from 31 January 2018.

Councillor Cook, in his capacity as Chair of that Committee and moved the recommendations which were adopted on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to: adopt the Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy attached to the report on this agenda with effect from 31 January 2019.

The Head of Community Services has submitted a report seeking the Committee’s agreement to the Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy

Recommendations: That the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee resolves to:

a)    Consider any relevant responses to the consultation submitted to the Licensing Authority;

b)    Consider retention of a ‘No Casino’ Resolution;

c)    Agree the final draft Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy; and

d)    Recommend the final draft of Gambling Licensing Policy to the Council

The Head of Community Services had submitted a report seeking the Committee’s agreement to the Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy.

The Licensing and Compliance Officer introduced the report . She reminded the Committee that all Licensing Authorities must have  adopted and published a Statement of  Gambling Licensing Policy, and must review it every three years. The Policy before the Committee was a revised draft following a period of consultation. The responses to the consultation were given in Appendix 4 of the report. It was explained that the low level of response was not unusual. None of the responses made material suggestions or observations. As well as seeking the Committee’s approval of the revised policy the Committee was asked to consider retention of a ‘No Casino’ resolution.

The previous meeting of the Committee had identified the desirability of consulting organisations with an interest in the welfare of vulnerable adults. The Licensing and Compliance Officer confirmed that Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Gamblers Anonymous and the Oxfordshire Adult Safeguarding Board had all been consulted.

It was explained that the “No Casino” resolution had been introduced when  the  government relaxed the rules about casinos and permitted the opening of so called ‘super casinos.’ Since then, the permissive legislation has been withdrawn and it would no longer be possible to open a casino in Oxford. However, failure to retain the resolution might be interpreted as an implicit willingness that the Council would consider opening a casino if the opportunity presented itself.

In response to questions about what was in place to protect the interests of vulnerable adults it was noted that applicants will now be required to provide Local Risk Assessments which will, in turn, be informed by the new Local Area Profile. The Council’s opportunity to mitigate the risks to vulnerable adults was broadly confined to ensuring application of and compliance with the policy.

It was noted that the Local Area Profile is, deliberately, distinct from the policy. This will enable officers to keep the profile up to date without recourse to the formality of Committee agreement. It was agreed that the title of the Local Area Profile as given with the papers should be amended to make this distinction clear.

Establishments could install up to two gaming machines without a licence but must inform the Council. Three or more machines require a licence. Officers conducted checks of establishments from time to time.

It was confirmed that relevant establishments should have literature available to signpost customers to help and support when appropriate.

The Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee resolved to:

a)    Note responses to the consultation submitted to the Licensing Authority;

b)    Agree that the ‘No Casino’ Resolution should be maintained;

c)    Agree the final draft Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy ; and

d)    Recommend the final draft of Gambling Licensing Policy to the Council

The Head of Community Services will submit a report which seeks the Committee’s agreement to a revised, draft,  Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy. The draft will then be the subject of a public consultation before it returns to the Committee on 19 September for final agreement.

The report will be published as a supplement to this agenda.

Recommendation: that the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee resolves to:

Adopt the revised Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy.

The Head of Community Services had submitted a report to agree the draft Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy for subsequent consultation.

The lawyer introduced the report, explaining that the Council was obliged to publish a Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy and to keep it under review and republished at least every three years. The new policy would need to be in place by the end of January 2019. The draft was before the Committee at this early stage to give sufficient time for consultation, consideration of a post-consultation text at a future meeting of the Committee and subsequent sign off by full Council.

The revised policy took account of a number of matters, the principal one of which was a requirement for applicants to provide the Licensing Authority with a “Local Area Risk Assessment”. This should set out how they have assessed the impact of their proposals on the local area. Details of what applicants should take account of were set out in Appendix 2. To assist applicants in their assessments, the Licensing Authority will produce a “Local Area Profile”. This will be compiled through partnership work with appropriate agencies, and will take account of such things as homelessness, mental health and alcohol related matters.  The Profile would be distinct and separate from the Policy, was a work in progress and would be brought before the Committee in due course.

It was noted that the draft Policy itself had only been seen by some Members of the Committee earlier in the day. It was recognised that this was regrettable. It was emphasised that the Committee was being asked to agree a draft for the purposes of consultation and not the final version.

The consultation would be with those bodies listed in Appendix 5 of the draft policy. In discussion it was suggested that the list did not take sufficient account of some sectors and it was agreed that it should be expanded to include the Citizens’ Advice Bureaux, Gamblers Anonymous and, via Oxfordshire County Council, a means of taking account of the needs of vulnerable adults (the latter might be achieved via the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board).

The Chair told the Committee that the Chair of the Council’s Public Involvement Board (PIB) had confirmed that he was content that the consultation should proceed as proposed with no need for formal PIB consideration.

The  Committee resolved to agree:

a)         the draft Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy;

b)         that a 6 week consultation be held on the agreed draft Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy; and

c)         that any relevant responses to the consultation be reported to the next meeting of the Committee.