The Licensing Sub-Committee of Lambeth Council met on 11 December 2025 to consider a licensing application and a draft Statement of Gambling Principles. Councillor David Robson, Chair of Licensing, along with Councillors Liam Daley and Scott Ainslie, were scheduled to be present. The Sub-Committee was to discuss a licensing application, and also consider a report regarding Lambeth's Statement of Principles for Gambling 2025-2028.

Statement of Principles for Gambling 2025-2028

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to discuss a report regarding the Lambeth Statement of Principles for Gambling 2025-2028¹, which the council is required to publish every three years, in accordance with the Gambling Act 2005². The Gambling Policy Licensing Committee report sought clearance from the Licensing Committee for the new Statement of Gambling Principles for the period 2025 – 2028, before it is formally adopted.

The report noted that the wording of the current policy for 2022-2025 had been edited, updated and expanded upon to provide clarity, ensure the ongoing health and wellbeing of Lambeth's citizens, while adhering to the core format and content as required by the Gambling Commission.

Proposed changes to the existing statement of principles included:

• Outlining that new applications or variations that fall outside the hours of midday to 10pm are subject to mandatory treatment service consultation. Applicants would need to evidence engagement with local addiction support providers, and demonstrate how they will contribute to vulnerable persons falling into harmful gambling cycles as part of operational schedules.
• Updating the definition of vulnerable persons, including shift workers, late-night/early gamblers, young adults, people with mental health conditions, and those experiencing debt or homelessness.
• Providing suggested risk assessment templates for existing licence holders and applicants.
• Updating the Local Area Profile, resulting in revisions to the Gambling Vulnerability Zones for the borough.
• Changing the Gambling Clusters, reducing them from seven to five.
• Including public health data around gambling-related harms to provide further context around the local area and potential impact.
• Including pointers from the Metropolitan Police Service to applicants and existing premises around effective management and crime prevention.

The report also noted a proposal to remove the existing no casino resolution made under section 166 of the Gambling Act 2005. The report stated that removing the resolution would not automatically permit a casino to open, and that due to restrictions that already exist under Section 175 of the Act, Lambeth would be prohibited from accepting an application for a new casino licence currently.

The Appendix 2 - Summary of Changes document provided a summary of the changes incorporated into the draft Gambling Policy for Lambeth for 2025-2028.

The Appendix 3 EIA - Gambling Policy Licensing Committee document stated that the policy would not adversely affect the holders of existing premises licences, those applying to hold licences, Responsible Authorities under the Gambling Act 2005, council officers, and existing and potential residents of the borough. It also stated that the policy would have a positive impact by aligning with the priorities of Lambeth Borough including, but not limited to, promoting fairness and equality and promoting better health by creating conditions for individuals from protected groups to reduce gambling-related harm and problem gambling.

The Appendix 4 Summary of Policy 1st December 2025 document provided a summary of the policy as of 1 December 2025.

The report recommended that the Council resolve to adopt the changes to the Gambling Policy Statement for 2025 – 2028, and that the draft Statement of Principles 2022 – 2025 be recommended to Cabinet as part of its formal adoption and approval.

Licensing Applications

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider a licensing application.

• Aquarium Tapas Bar, Ground Floor 415 Wandsworth Road London SW8 2JP. This application was deferred to the next Licensing Sub-Committee meeting on 16 December 2025.

Minutes

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2025 as a correct record of the proceedings, as detailed in the LSC Draft Minutes 111125 document.