Have your say on Camden’s draft gambling policy and local area profile

We are consulting on our draft Statement of Gambling Policy 2026 to 2029 and updated Camden Local Area Profile.

The public consultation will run for 12 weeks, from Monday 3 August until Sunday 25 October.

We welcome views from residents, businesses, gambling operators, responsible authorities, community organisations and anyone with an interest in gambling licensing or gambling-related harm in Camden.

Why we are consulting

The Gambling Act 2005 requires us, as the licensing authority, to publish a Statement of Gambling Policy setting out how it will carry out its responsibilities under the Act.

Our current policy covers the period 2023 to 2026 and is being reviewed and updated for the next three-year period.

The Local Area Profile supports the Policy by providing information about the characteristics of Camden, the location of gambling premises and the local circumstances that may increase the risk of gambling-related harm.

The documents will be used by:

applicants and gambling operators when preparing applications and local risk assessments
responsible authorities and other organisations when considering applications
residents and community groups wishing to understand the local gambling licensing framework
the Council when determining applications, carrying out inspections and taking enforcement action

What is being proposed

The draft Statement of Gambling Policy has been updated to:

strengthen the focus on preventing and reducing gambling-related harm
provide greater recognition of public health, safeguarding and community safety considerations
clarify how we will consider applications, representations, licence conditions and reviews
strengthen expectations relating to operators’ local risk assessments
reflect current Gambling Commission guidance and licensing requirements
update references to relevant Council strategies, policies and partnership priorities
update the sections relating to premises licences, permits, inspections, compliance and enforcement

The draft Local Area Profile has also been substantially updated. It includes more recent information relating to:

Camden’s population and ward structure
deprivation, unemployment, debt and household income
housing pressures, homelessness and rough sleeping
mental health, substance misuse and other indicators of vulnerability
children, young people and students
crime and antisocial behaviour
the location and concentration of gambling premises
complaints, inspections and compliance issues
the groups, locations and circumstances that may be associated with an increased risk of gambling-related harm

The updated Local Area Profile is intended to help gambling operators identify and properly address local risks when preparing or reviewing their premises-specific risk assessments.

Consultation documents

You can read the consultation documents below:

How to respond

The consultation will open on Monday 3 August. The deadline to submit the survey is by 11:59pm on Sunday 25 October.

Submit your comments by completing the online survey.

When responding, it would be helpful if you could explain:

which document or section your comments relate to
whether you support or disagree with the proposed approach
the reasons for your views
any alternative wording, evidence or proposals you would like us to consider

What happens next

Following the close of the consultation, all responses will be reviewed and considered.

The draft Policy and Local Area Profile may be amended in response to the consultation before being presented to the relevant Council committee for consideration and approval.

Responses may be published or summarised as part of the decision-making process. Personal information will be handled in accordance with our data protection and privacy requirements.

Further information

For further information about the consultation or to request the documents in an alternative format, contact the Licensing Team: [email protected].

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