Young people with gambling problems are at the mercy of postcode lottery

Preventive measures are being put in place to protect the 'vulnerable', says Neasa MacErlean. But how effective they are will depend on local councils

An advert for a bookmaker viewed through smashed glass. Depending on the profile of their area, councils will be able to put conditions on licences for betting outlets (AFP/Getty Images)

More young people are seen as being at risk of developing a gambling problem – and there are fears that moves to protect them will be botched over the next few weeks.

Children and "the vulnerable" are the focus of preventive measures now being designed and put into place by gambling businesses and their licensors at local authorities. Local risk assessments must be carried out by the industry on all physical gambling outlets by April to gauge the potential impact of the venues on the vulnerable.

At the same time, local authorities are updating their policies and deciding which groups of people – the unemployed, for instance, or those with mental health problems – they be included in their definition of "vulnerable" and in need of protection from the full marketing power of the gambling sector.

These are the two new prongs of activity intended to fulfil a clause in the Gambling Act 2005 about shielding children and the vulnerable from potential harm.

However, some councils appear to be taking a minimalist approach. If they do not instead produce a detailed policy – one setting out who precisely they want to protect – they will be in a weak position to negotiate with betting shops and other gambling organisations until 2019, when their policies are scheduled to be reviewed again.

By contrast, a local authority with a clear policy of protecting the homeless, for example, might try to ensure that betting shop staff are specifically trained to deal with this group. The licensing rules encourage councils to put conditions on licences, rather than refusing to grant them.

"A lot depends on each local authority and how much of an issue they think it is for their area," said Heather Wardle, head of the Gambling & Place Research Hub at the consultancy Geofutures.

Westminster and Manchester councils are taking more action than many – by commissioning Geofutures to do detailed maps of their areas, highlighting gambling outlets, unemployment and other indicators of vulnerability. Some surprises have emerged. For instance, Pimlico in central London, home to many MPs, registers a high vulnerability level (partly because there are several hostels for the homeless in the area).

These maps are now online and people can put in their postcode to view their neighbourhood: mapcase.geofutures.com/gamblingriskindex/manchester; mapcase.geofutures.com/gamblingriskindex/westminster.

That the preventive measures do work is particularly important for one group. Research from the Gambling Commission shows 16 to 24-year-olds are twice as likely to be "at risk" of problem gambling as the population overall; while 7 per cent of men are "at risk", the proportion is 16 per cent for males between 16 and 24. And according to Elaine Smethurst at the Gordon Moody Association, the gambling therapy centre, many of her clients "started gambling at a very young age".

If you are worried that someone close to you could have a gambling problem, there are two main clues, said Ms Smethurst – time and money. She gave the example of a man disappearing all day on Saturday with no explanation to his family. Then there is the person who "doesn't have money and yet they ought to because they are working". Supportive questioning might help such a person reveal some of the truth, but, she adds, "people will lie" - especially if questioning is seen as aggressive.

Useful advice is to suggest they seek help. Addiction to gambling is so powerful that the vast majority of people in this position will struggle to break it alone. Concerned parents and family members might also wonder what difference these preventive measures will make given that the big growth area for gambling is via smartphone, not at the bookies. It is hard to answer that except to say that information about high-street betting shops and other physical sites raises the profile of more widespread gambling issues as well.

Links: Gamcare, help for problem gamblers – gamcare.org.uk and 0808 8020 133; Geofutures – geofutures.com; Gordon Moody Association – gordonmoody.org.uk; responsiblegamblingtrust.org.uk

Protecting children: 'Bookies look sleazy'

Training staff to ask for proof of age and to throw out the under-18s is the best move that betting shops could take as it would protect children, according to Stella, a grandmother and former teacher and grand-mother.

"Youngsters egg each other on," she said. "But if they are stopped at the door, they'd look foolish in front of their friends and wouldn't try it again."

There are already obligations on staff to carry out these checks, and the Gambling Commission has been putting pressure on the sector in recent years to make sure these precautions are implemented properly.

None of her four children and grandchildren has been tempted by betting but, as a teacher for 40 years, Stella (not her real name) is clear that "there should not be gambling places near schools – just like there shouldn't be fast-food shops".

On betting shops, she added: "I've never heard it raised as a problem but it sets a bad example, just seeing them. They look sleazy and the people going into them look sleazy."