UK gambling centers located in vulnerable areas

• BBC News argues that AGCs in the UK are prominent in vulnerable areas
• This proliferation may be intentional, as people may be more likely to spend
• Local communal authorities deny that they are alone to blame for allowing AGCs’ proliferation, but not everyone agrees

Adult gaming centers (AGC) in the United Kingdom are increasingly proliferating in areas that are more vulnerable to gambling-related harm, a new report by BBC News suggests.

AGCs proliferate among vulnerable communities, the report argues

According to the media, which relied on Gambling Commission data, at least 50% of AGCs are located in areas that can be qualified as "deprived" or "disadvantaged." In specific numbers, that is 664 such venues out of 1,400-odd properties licensed to operate games of chance for money.

This is done, the media suggests, to exploit a vulnerability among people who struggle with financial and life circumstances and are more likely to make poor decisions about gambling.

GambleAware CEO Anna Hargrave was cited in the original article, arguing that people who live in such communities are far more likely to engage in compulsive gambling and develop harm and issues with the activity.

Some areas have argued that their hands are tied and they cannot deny businesses access to neighborhoods, but according to BACTA Communications Director Allstar Gair, this is simply not true, and that the areas in question have powers to limit the proliferation of AGCs if they so choose.

Disadvantaged communities are not just plagued by a disproportionate number of AGCs, but they may also house people who are far less likely to be aware of resources available to them to help them overcome any gambling-related problem they may be experiencing.

Impulsive gambling is tied to a higher societal cost, as people rack up debt and struggle to pay it off, while family and personal relationships fray.

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