Online casino rules have become stricter over the years. As things stand, not only do casino players face stake limits, but they are also dealing with limits as to how much time and money they can spend on online casinos. For these and other reasons, many players have opted to try their hand at non gamstop casinos as these are not subject to the same requirements. But what about at the local level? Are local councils also changing their approach when dealing with casinos? We look at how Gedling Borough has taken charge of this emerging issue and what this means for its residents.
Are There Casinos in Gedling Borough?
While many boroughs have opened their doors to fully-fledged casinos, Gedling is yet to do the same. Instead, residents are able to access the following alternatives:
- Adult gaming centres. These venues, which boast amenities such as high-payout gaming machines, are quite close to casinos. However, they do not host live table games, which is their main takeaway.
- Betting shops. While these are not casinos per se, they cater to casino players who also dabble in sports betting. And with a majority of UK residents doing so, these shops get quite a lot of traffic.
In addition to these options, residents of Gedling Borough can travel to nearby locations with fully-fledged casinos. Nottingham city centre is a good example of this. Only about 20 minutes away, it is an ideal spot for casino players who want the full experience. Of course, these players can also go online and access hundreds of casino games without leaving their homes, which is another reason online casino gambling has become a mainstay in this region.
So, Why Did The Borough Review Casino Venue Tax Contributions?
While Gedling may not be home to the typical casinos, it still collects the equivalent of casino venue tax contributions. These are essentially the premise licence fees from operators such as the adult gaming centres and the betting shops. This money covers the costs of inspections while also providing the council with revenue, which is essential in funding public projects.
Given the importance of these fees in the council’s financial health, it reviews its casino venue tax policies every few years. Its last review, which took place in 2024, was brought on by the following factors:
- The statutory requirement. Per the Gambling Act, Gedling must update its Statement of Gambling Policy every three years. As such, with the 2025 to 2028 period coming up, the council needed to determine where it stood on the same and what changes would take place before communicating its stance to its residents and other stakeholders.
- The need for more scrutiny. For a couple of years, Gedling Council was the subject of controversy after findings revealed that a council employee had made away with up to a million pounds. The said employee had been using council revenue to fund a gambling addiction, and this resulted in uproar from the rest of the council and the residents at large. With such a high-profile fraud case, the council had to review its casino licensing fees while also tightening its grip on how it handles its finances.
But what about online casinos operating in the area? While these operators are subject to taxes and other fees, they direct these funds to the Gambling Commission, as it is in charge of these casino operations.
Factors Considered in the Review.
Reviewing casino venue taxes is not an easy decision. After all, if the council is too restrictive, then the adult gaming centres and betting shops can take their business elsewhere, which can result in lost revenue. At the same time, if a council is too liberal, it opens itself up to an environment where the betting shops and adult gaming centres may make choices that harm the residents. Thus, to ensure that a balance exists, the council considered the following factors in its last review:
- The vulnerability of its residents. Some residents, such as children, are more vulnerable to making poor decisions when it comes to gambling. As such, the council had to think of these people, which is why they came up with local area profiles that mapped these vulnerability zones.
- The administrative costs. The council charges its adult gaming centres and betting shops a fee that covers its administrative costs. They had to weigh whether the existing fees were adequate to meet their enforcement costs.
The council also had to think about whether it would change its position on casinos, as it had not issued new casino licenses in its past reviews.
What Was the Way Forward?
After much deliberation, the council came to the conclusion that they would not be permitting any new casinos within the borough, citing that the area did not need one because nearby locations, like Nottingham, already served this need quite well. However, while they were not going to welcome any new players, they had some changes for their existing licensees, which revolved around their new vulnerability zones, and they came up with new policies for any venues that were within 400 meters of any of these zones.
And in line with its changing operational costs, the council revised its licensing fees to ensure that they could meet all its administrative costs without losing money or passing the cost to its taxpayers.
