Two bookmakers in the London borough of Hounslow, UK—Betfred and Jenningsbet—were allowed to keep their licenses even though both permitted a 15-year old police cadet to play slot machines on two separate occasions. The Hounslow Council’s required the stores to place magnetic locks at the entrance, have two staff persons on duty at all times and provide additional employee training, among other conditions. The operations could have been shut down completely.
The rulings were the result of an undercover operation led by the council’s licensing team, in which police cadets visited 22 betting shops across the borough. Twelve allowed players under age 18 to gamble, and the Betfred store and Jenningsbet stores also failed follow-up visits. At those venues, cadets were able to play fixed odds betting terminals and were asked for an ID only when they requested change at the counter.
Hounslow Council Deputy Leader Amrit Mann said, “Protecting our most vulnerable residents is key to creating a safer borough. A lot of work has been undertaken by our licensing team to ensure our youngest residents are not victim to the lure of these highly addictive fixed odds betting terminals, which are commonly known as the crack cocaine of gambling. Almost all the borough’s bookmakers were tested to check if they challenged underage gamblers.” He continued, “This is first time either Jenningsbet or Betfred have been held to account by a council. The conditions placed on the licenses of these two betting giants reflect our concerns about the effects that underage gambling can have on young people”
Mann also said, “While our work to ensure underage gambling doesn’t happen in Hounslow will continue, we hope that Betfred, Jenningsbet and other bookmakers will pay more attention to who is attempting to bet in their stores as a result of these recent underage test purchases and the action we have taken in these cases.”
A Betfred spokesman said the store implemented a full review and put in place more rigid procedures after failing the tests. A Jenningsbet spokesman said it also introduced voluntary measures to prevent underage gambling.
