Gambling Commission highlights devolution gambling implications

The Gambling Commission has drawn out the gambling implications for devolution in England.

The White Paper commits to supporting local government reorganisation in all areas which remain under 2-tier local government arrangements, and sets out the following as the ‘next steps’:

• Widening devolution: The government has already started to deliver on the plans set out here, with 2 new Mayors and 6 non-mayoral devolution agreements confirmed since July, getting powers to local areas sooner. We are doubling down with a new Devolution Priority Programme for places ready to match our ambition.
• Deepening devolution: We are delivering deeper powers for more areas, increasing the number of Mayoral Strategic Authorities we are committing to give Integrated Settlements to 6, and considering how to apply it to London. We will now work with the Mayoral Council on delivering the ambitious Devolution Framework, and where relevant will shape the details of proposals with spending implications through the Spending Review process.
• Local government reorganisation: We will work with individual areas, inviting proposals from all remaining 2-tier areas and those unitary councils where there is evidence of failure or their size or boundaries may be hindering their ability to deliver sustainable and high-quality services to their residents.
• We also recommit to the English Devolution Bill, which will be introduced in the first session, subject to parliamentary time, putting the Devolution Framework into statute and moving to a systematic approach that ensures local leaders have the powers they need.

Writing in its most recent LA Bulletin, the Commission pointed to the following:

‘The government is also committed to giving local authorities greater control over the location of local establishments to support healthier lifestyles, improved socioeconomic outcomes, and high street vitality. Certain types of premises can exacerbate health and anti-social behaviour challenges. We will explore giving local authorities support and new discretionary tools to manage their proliferation and limit their access by vulnerable communities. We will also look to complement local authorities’ existing powers in relation to gambling outlets to refuse or place conditions on premises licences in line with measures outlined in the gambling white paper published in April 2023. The government’s view is that councillors, working with local people, need to be able to tackle and address these priorities.’