The Scrutiny Inquiry Panel - Reducing Gambling-Related Harms in Southampton are scheduled to hold a meeting, their second on the topic of Reducing Gambling-Related Harms in Southampton, on 19 December 2024. The meeting will focus on how the council might adopt a whole place approach, and the meeting will hear from a number of experts in the field of problem gambling. The meeting will be asked to consider a report entitled A Whole-Place Approach to Reducing Gambling Related Harms, which was prepared by Southampton City Council's Scrutiny Manager, Mark Pirnie.

A Whole-Place Approach to Reducing Gambling Related Harms

The report pack contains a report that recommends that the Scrutiny Panel considers how to apply a whole-place approach to reducing gambling-related harm in Southampton. The report claims that recent research suggests that focusing solely on supporting individuals is unlikely to reduce the occurrence of harmful gambling, and may disadvantage some groups. It suggests that the alternative is a broad, co-ordinated response that addresses the issue at the levels of the individual, the community, and through place-based actions.

The report pack explains that the meeting will hear from three expert witnesses about how to achieve this.

Professor Heather Wardle

The report pack says that the Panel will hear from Professor Heather Wardle, Professor of Gambling Research and Policy at the University of Glasgow.¹

Alice Beadle

The Panel will also hear from Alice Beadle, who is employed by the Association of Directors of Public Health in the North East to co-ordinate the work of the Gambling Harms Network.²

Matt Smith

Finally, the report pack says that Matt Smith, Director of External Affairs at Betknowmore UK,³ will be discussing Betknowmore's work with the London Borough of Islington to reduce gambling harms. The report pack includes a copy of the Greater Manchester Gambling Harms Action Plan, and suggests that the Panel might wish to use this to inform their own thinking on the topic. The report pack states that:

Nationally, Greater Manchester Combined Authority is recognised as leading the way in the development of a whole place approach to gambling harms.

The report pack also suggests that the panel may wish to utilise the recently-published Gambling Related Harms in Southampton Needs Assessment to inform their thinking.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The meeting is also scheduled to discuss the minutes of the previous meeting, which was held on 14 November 2024. These minutes are included in the report pack. The minutes describe the first session in this inquiry, at which the panel heard from four expert witnesses.

Prof. Sam Chamberlain

The minutes say that Professor Sam Chamberlain, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Southampton, and Service Director at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust,⁴ gave a presentation about the impact of problem gambling, and about the work of the Southern Gambling Service, which is run by Southern Health. The minutes quote Professor Chamberlain's assertion that:

public health interventions were often watered down due to industry influence and therefore were often ineffective.

Jennifer Clynes

Jennifer Clynes, a Public Health Specialty Registrar at Southampton City Council, then reportedly discussed findings from the draft Reducing Gambling Related Harms in Southampton Needs Assessment.

Rob Burkitt

The minutes say that the Panel then heard from Rob Burkitt, a Policy Manager at the Gambling Commission.⁵ He is said to have discussed how the Gambling Commission licenses and regulates gambling.

Bryan Dimmick

Finally, the minutes report that the Panel heard from Bryan Dimmick, a Southampton resident who has experience of harmful gambling. The minutes summarise his evidence, stating that:

His journey began in childhood, playing arcade games, which gradually progressed to regularly playing on fruit machines in pubs by age 18. Eventually, he moved on to betting shops, particularly playing Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBT), often pairing gambling with drinking. This cycle led him to neglect healthier pursuits, culminating in criminal behaviour including prison time following a theft attempt to fund his gambling addiction.

The minutes say that Mr Dimmick argued that staff in gambling venues should be trained to recognise and address gambling-related issues, and called for increased education about gambling harms in schools.