The Head of Regulatory Services and Community Safety submitted a report to the Licensing & Gambling Acts Committee on 3 November seeking agreement of the Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy following consultation.

The Committee decisions are set out in the minutes of that meeting.

The Chair of the Licensing & Gambling Acts Committee Cllr Cook will present the report and propose the recommendations.

Recommendation:

The Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee recommends that Council resolves to

1.    approve the final draft of Gambling Licensing Policy 2022

Council considered a report from the Head of Regulatory Services and Community Safety seeking agreement of the Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy following consultation.

The Chair of the Licensing & Gambling Acts Committee Cllr Cook, introduced the report and proposed the recommendations.  He apologised to Council explaining that at the meeting on 3 November 2021 the Licensing & Gambling Acts Committee had agreed to recommend the retention of a ‘No Casino’ Resolution but that the papers before them had not been updated to reflect that.

The recommendations, including the retention of a “No Casino” resolution, were agreed on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

approve the final draft of Gambling Licensing Policy 2022.

Report of the Head of Service Regulatory Services and Community Safety

Purpose of report: To agree the draft Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy following consultation.

Recommendations: that the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee resolves to

1.            Consider any relevant responses to the consultation submitted to the Licensing Authority

2.            Consider whether to recommend retention of a ‘No Casino’ Resolution

3.            Agree the final draft Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy

4.            Recommend the final draft of Gambling Licensing Policy to Council

The Head of Service Regulatory Services and Community Safety had submitted a reportto seek agreement to the draft Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy following consultation.

The Senior Licensing Officer introduced the report. The Council had a duty to determine and publish a Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy; to keep it under review; and republish it at least every three years. The revision before the Committee took account of comments made as a result of the public consultation. This revision included three amendments: an updated the map of Oxford and its boundaries; an update on Gaming machines maximum stakes and prizes (this change followed the 2021 updated guidance issued by the Gambling Commission); and an amendment to the address details for HMRC.

The Committee raised a number questions and suggestions for improvement. It was noted that the Gambling Act 2005 (and the Statement of Gambling Policy which flowed from it) did not cover the licensing of greyhound or other track racing.

It was suggested that the use of “Category A” gaming machines (as set out in Appendix two) might be particularly addictive. In the event, as set out in the policy, their use here had simply been prohibited by the Gambling Commission.

The policy did not define what constituted close proximity to schools, leisure centres etc in considering applications to licence certain premises. It was, rather, for applicants to demonstrate that they had taken proper account of the relevant consideration, including any mitigations written into their local plan. Any judgements about this matter would be informed by licensing officers visiting the locations themselves.

Judgements about whether an area was subject to “high levels of crime and/or disorder”  were made by Thames Valley Police.

The requirement that gambling is conducted in “fair and open way” is a reference to the need for there to be clear information about maximum stakes, maximum payouts, average payout rates and the rules of a particular game.

The Committee resolved to:

1.    Note the relevant responses to the consultation submitted to the Licensing Authority;

2.    Recommend retention of a ‘No Casino’ Resolution;

3.    Agree the final draft Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy; and

4.    Recommend the final draft of Gambling Licensing Policy to Council