Police visit Wakefield city centre bookmakers

Police have paid visits to bookmakers operating in Wakefield city centre to crack down on rules surrounding problem gambling.
The council launched an investigation into Wakefield's gambling scene in the summer.The council launched an investigation into Wakefield's gambling scene in the summer.
The council launched an investigation into Wakefield's gambling scene in the summer.

Officers, along with the council's licensing staff, checked in with eight betting shops around the area as part of efforts to tackle addiction among punters.

The inspections followed a council investigation into the health effects of gambling on the city's young and vulnerable.

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A council report said the shops were found to be complying fully with the law and addressing the issue of problem gambling.

The industry is under scrutiny at the moment, with a ban on betting adverts during sports matches and a cut in the maximum stake on fixed odds machines among new laws being passed by the government.

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"The findings from the visits turned out to be very positive, and the bookmaker premises were found to be taking the problem of problem gambling very seriously.

"There was only one premises that needed to be re-visited which was mainly for minor issues that couldn’t be rectified on the first visit."

The report will be discussed at a full council meeting this Wednesday.

Local Democracy Reporting Service