Protecting children and vulnerable people from gambling harm
One of the key aims of the Gambling Act 2005 is to keep children and vulnerable people safe from the risks of gambling.
Risk sssessments for gambling premises
Every gambling business must carry out a risk assessment for each of its locations. This means looking at how their business might affect people in the area—especially those who are young or vulnerable. For example, they need to consider if their premises are near schools or on routes children use to walk to school.
What is a local area profile?
Local councils are encouraged to create a Local Area Profile. This is a report that highlights areas where people may be more at risk from gambling. It helps gambling businesses understand what risks they need to manage when applying for a new licence or changing an existing one.
The profile includes data on things like:
- areas with financial hardship
- support services for homelessness and mental health
- schools and youth centres
- GP surgeries and treatment centres
- places of worship
- ethnic minority populations
- people receiving Universal Credit or Job Seekers Allowance
- young people aged 10–24
This information is updated every three months.
Interactive map and register
The local area profile includes a map and register that shows:
- Where vulnerable groups are located
- Where licensed gambling premises are
You can use the map to:
- Click icons to see details about gambling premises
- Search for a location and zoom out to view nearby premises
- Click the house icon next to a location to plot it on the map
- Click the map marker and arrow to view licence details
- Reset the map using the home icon (top left)
Using map layers
To customize the map view:
- Click the icon in the top right corner
- Use layers to show or hide:
- Ward boundaries
- Licensed premises
- Local risk indicators
