As East Riding Council prepares to update its gambling ‘Statement of Principles’, documents reveal the number of bingo sites in the region have sky rocketed.
Under the Gambling Act 2005, Councils must issue a ‘Statement of Principles’ every three years. As a licensing authority the council is responsible for vetting the suitability of physical gambling premises such as race courses, casinos, arcades, and bingo sites. Whilst the Gambling Commission, a Government agency, can issue licenses, councils look to ensure venues are appropriate for the areas they operate in.
East Riding Council’s last Statement of Principles is set to expire at the end of January, having been published in January 2022. The Council is therefore looking to publish the next set of principles for the period 2025-28.
The changes that will be made in the latest set of principles will reflect changes made in gambling legislation since 2022. Council documents cite proposals made in the 2023 policy paper, published under Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Government, which sought to update parts of the Gambling Act 2005 which the paper claims were “looking increasingly outdated.”
The proposals suggested in the 2023 paper, which are set to take effect in 2025, include the introduction of a ban on under 18s using category D slot machines which have a maximum stake of 10p and a maximum jackpot of £5.
Council documents also show the change in the number of gambling venues across the East Riding.
Adult Gaming Centre: 20 in 2024, unchanged from 2018
Family Entertainment Centre: 5 in 2024, down from 8 in 2018
Betting Premises 25 in 2024, down from 36 in 2018
Racetracks 1 in 2024, unchanged from 2018
Bingo 11 in 2024, up from 5 in 2018.
The data shows no real correlation in numbers across all types of gambling venue. However, there are some interesting takeaways including the fact that the number of bingo sites has more than doubled from five in 2018, up to eleven in 2024. Curiously, the data also shows a 30% drop in the number of betting shops in the same time period. The single racetrack that is accounted for is of course Beverley Racecourse which claims to receive around 120,000 visitors a year.
In a meeting of East Riding Council’s Cabinet, councillors heard that a four week consultation period regarding the Council’s gambling policy returned zero comments or recommendations. In the meeting, the Cabinet approved the Statement of Principles, meaning it will now go before the Full Council.
