Brent, London has a notably high concentration of gambling facilities, raising concerns among residents over the social consequences in deprived neighborhoods such as Harlesden and Willesden. The borough has 81 licensed gambling establishments, which surpass the number of banks or schools, and 6.2% of locals are identified as problem gamblers—much higher than the national average. Brent Council, led by Cllr Muhammed Butt, is advocating for stricter regulations to combat the growing prevalence of gambling establishments, which are estimated to cost taxpayers £14.3m annually due to gambling-related harm.
Brent has the second-highest concentration of gambling premises in London, with 81 licensed establishments, making gambling facilities more widespread than supermarkets, banks, or schools.
Locals have expressed "deep concerns" over the sites, which they claim "threaten the social fabric" of the area. Both residents and Brent councillors have been sounding the alarm for some time about the number of gambling sites.
Cllr Muhammed Butt has written to the government urging it to tighten the law in response to the "grossly unwelcome and inappropriate" number of gambling sites.
A Joint Strategic Needs Assessment shows that 6.2% of Brent residents are classified as problem gamblers, significantly higher than the national average of 2.9%, costing the borough £14.3m annually.
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