A new report by the BBC is wrapping up the year on a worrying note, with gambling centers across the United Kingdom increasingly appearing in deprived and disadvantaged areas. This is hardly the first time such concerns have been raised.
Adult Gaming Centers Proliferate at Expense of Society, BBC Argues
Called “adult gaming centers,” these venues usually operate for 24 hours on end, and offer automated gaming machines that pay out jackpots and cash rewards.
However, they are also prevalently based in areas where the risk profile of players is high, meaning that too many vulnerable consumers may be engaging with the games, potentially compounding addictive and harmful behavior.
Further data by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) indicates that 664 out of 1,400 adult gaming centers nationwide are located in the 20% most deprived areas in the country, pointing to a targeted approach towards at-risk consumers by businesses.
Criticism over businesses’ willing choice to target deprived areas has been growing, with healthcare experts and non-profit organizations speaking out. In the meantime, the UKGC has responded to a request for comment to the BBC by arguing that such businesses were established through permits from local authorities.
In other words, economically underperforming areas may be turning to quick budget fixes, while the knock-on societal costs are estimated to run deep in the population.
GambleAware CEO Anna Hargrave has raised concerns over the current numbers, arguing that communities that were experiencing financial and economic hardship and struggle were twice as likely to suffer from gambling-related harm.
The BBC also sought the personal stories of people who have suffered harm in areas supposedly overwhelmed with such gaming centers, with one Charlie Barker, an addict, arguing that there were between five and six such venues in proximity to his home.
Local Authorities Have the Tools to Limit Proliferation of Such Venues
“Even when I was getting wins, I wasn’t walking away with them,” Baker spoke of his experience with gaming centers.
While local authorities have tried to explain that they cannot block the opening of a new gaming venue and would need more powers to do so, Allastar Gair, communications director at BACTA, has argued the opposite.
He said that authorities may turn down a license or block its opening in a sensitive location, such as near schools, for example.
“A new AGC does not open without a full licensing process, council oversight, and a detailed risk assessment,” he said. A more likely explanation is that down-on-their-luck places are looking for an economic reprieve without factoring in the future costs they would have to foot.