Haringey Council Tackles Gambling Harms with New Funding
Borough receives £60,000 to address high rates of problem gambling and dense venue presence.
Incident → evidence → outcomeHaringey Council has received £60,000 for the 2025/26 financial year to address gambling harms within the borough. This funding will support initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact of problem gambling, which affects an estimated 3.5% of Haringey residents, equating to nearly 7,500 individuals. These individuals are identified as gamblers experiencing negative consequences and potentially losing control over their betting habits.
High Density of Gambling Venues
The borough faces a significant concentration of physical gambling establishments, with Will Maimaris, the council’s director of public health, noting a "real density" in the poorest areas. Haringey possesses one of the highest densities of gambling premises in the country. Data presented to Haringey Council’s adults and health scrutiny panel on October 1 revealed that the east of Haringey has 55 gambling premises, a stark contrast to the six located in the west of the borough. Maimaris highlighted clear clustering along key high streets in more deprived communities, including Wood Green High Road, Harringay Green Lanes, and the High Road corridors at White Hart Lane and Bruce Grove.
Coalition and Education Initiatives
The £60,000 funding comes from a statutory levy on gambling operators, introduced in April. Haringey Council is collaborating with Barnet, Camden, Enfield, and Islington councils as part of the North London Tackling Gambling Harms Coalition. This coalition aims to engage communities across the five boroughs to better understand residents’ attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of gambling-related harm. Furthermore, Haringey Council intends to commission public health charity Gambling Harm UK to deliver gambling harm education sessions to the borough’s state schools. These sessions are expected to be provided at no cost to the council, funded through the government's levy on gambling operators.
Maimaris expressed optimism regarding the growing recognition of gambling's harmful effects, stating, "the tide is turning around recognition of the harm that gambling does." Changes to legislation, specifically the proposed abolition of the ‘aim to permit’ rule in the Gambling Act 2005, are anticipated to grant local authorities greater influence over the location and concentration of gambling venues.
Questions this report answers
01How many Haringey residents are considered high-risk gamblers?
Approximately 3.5% of Haringey residents, which equates to nearly 7,500 people, are considered high-risk gamblers. This means they are gambling with negative consequences and may have a loss of control over their betting.
02What is being done to address gambling harms in Haringey?
Haringey Council has received £60,000 for the 2025/26 financial year to tackle gambling harms. Plans include commissioning education sessions for state schools and engaging communities through a coalition with four other London boroughs.
03Where are the majority of gambling venues located in Haringey?
The east of Haringey has a significantly higher concentration of gambling premises, with 55 venues compared to six in the west. These are particularly clustered along key high streets in more deprived communities.
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