Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
"Betting industry has been demonised"
I've just spotted this letter on the Journal's letters webpage, dated today's date, from Andrew Lyman, Head of Public Affairs for William Hill (the same gentlemen that David Lammy MP began to engage in a discusssion about the merits of saturation gambling). Here's what Mr Lyman says:
"Betting industry has been demonised"
William Hill is headquartered in Wood Green and is a major employer in this area.
While it is right that people raise concerns about local communities and the mix of retail outlets on the high street, what is not acceptable, in our view, is the deliberate demonisation of the betting industry and factual misrepresentation from those in public life who should know better.
Betting operators are not exploiting a "loophole" in the law as portrayed by David Lammy, but operating in a heavily regulated, but more commercially liberalised market, which was exactly what the last Labour Government envisaged when it passed the Gambling Act 2005.
Mr Lammy understands this because he was a minister at the responsible department at the time.
The number of betting shops in London is not generally increasing, but there is some clustering which occurs in other retail sectors where the market is allowed to operate normally; as evidenced, for example, by the grouping of estate agents or fast food outlets. Our industry is one of the most heavily regulated in the UK with licences required from both the Gambling Commission and local authorities. Betting operators have legal obligations to demonstrate social responsibility and prevent crime.
The high street betting industry is one of the few industries which has to pay more in tax than it makes in profit.
Karen Jennings says this is not a moral crusade, but some of the rhetoric sounds pretty negative and moralistic to us!
Betting shops add to the vibrancy of the high street and many are small communities in themselves.
I ask politicians and campaigners of all denominations spare a thought for our staff and customers and, in difficult times, consider the employment and leisure opportunities we provide. - Andrew Lyman, head of public affairs, William Hill, Station Road, N22.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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"Betting shops add to the vibrancy of the high street"
"and many are small communities in themselves".
Here, here. Completely agree. Wise and thoughtful man that Mr Wyman.
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Permalink Reply by Birdy_Too on
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While I don't agree with what Mr Lyman was saying, those images could have been taken from an armed raid at a bank or 24 hour grocery store and the collective of men shown are not committing crimes by standing outside a betting or any other shop, cafe, club or restaurant for that matter.
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Mmm, they could have been Birdy. Thanks for that observation. I chose the pictures because there is a particular problem with betting shops being the target of armed raids and there's been an ongoing issue aired on this site of women reporting being hassled by groups of men standing around outside betting shops.
Quite happy to replace them with more targeted images. Any suggestions?
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Just trying to be a fence sitter here Hugh and point out they are not the root of all evil. Crime is all over our community not just in betting shops and sometimes this argument is distorted by those who don't frequent them or view them as a blot on their village life.
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Couldn't agree with you more. They're not the root of all evil;I'm merely lampooning the disingenuous spin of William Hill's Head of Public Affairs.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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Ha! Ha! Has My Lyman been inside one of his betting shops lately? I was a frequent visitor to Mr Billy Hill and his vibrant little community to have a little flutter on the dogs or the geegees.
Two woman in the whole shop and one was doing the bets while the other (me) wouldn't really have been in there, if I'm honest, without a man. No one talks, most (back then) sat in a fug of smoke staring at screens. Some got angry and hit things when they lost, a few were just sheltering from a cold morning. The toilets are locked because the druggies use them and the lost alcoholic souls in the doorway are just looking for someone to rant at. The lass behind the counter serving a plastic cup of instant coffee to me looks relieved that there is another female in the place who hasn't been swigging cider since 6. The arrival of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals were like adding betting crack to the mix.
It is a community, and ethnographic studies have even been done on betting shops. For some sadly, there may be no other place where they are free to enter and just sit, but to suggest vibrancy or something warm and cosy, (like a social club) is ridiculous.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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"... a brilliant insight into the duplicity of the gambling industry"
Tomorrow's Journal (Thursday) carries a response to Andrew Lyman's letter (above) from David Lammy MP. It can be seen online here (also below):
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MR Lyman's letter ("Betting industry has been demonised" Journal, May 6) is a brilliant insight into the duplicity of the gambling industry.
While he begins by throwing around accusations of "factual misrepresentation" and "deliberate demonisation", he spares readers of any facts, so allow me to present them.
The number of gambling licences issued in Tottenham has increased - there are now almost 40. The number of gambling licences issued in London has increased - there are 350 extra licences issued in the last five years.
The location of gambling licences across London has been concentrated in the poorer areas of the capital - how else does he explain why the people of Highgate have to travel 1km from the station to get to their nearest William Hill, yet one could get off at less-affluent Archway and find four William Hills? There are 29 gambling premises in Richmond, but 90 in more-deprived Newham. This isn't "deliberate demonisation", these are facts.
I have been open about the fact that I think the 2005 Gambling Act is flawed. The Act has been shown to be at odds with the regeneration in Tottenham, yet in an era where people complain about a lack of openness in politics, Mr Lyman appears to suggest politicians ought never to express an opinion other than their party's.
This has never been a crusade against gambling, I have no interest in trying to ban it. This is about bookmakers saturating high streets, disrupting their diversity and vibrancy. At the moment, nothing appears to be able to stand in the bookmakers' way when they wish to open further outlets. I say councils should have the power to say no.
Yes, spare a thought for their customers and staff in these tough times, but not for Mr Lyman and his contemporaries, who, thanks to the World Cup, are about to have a profitable summer. - David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Bravo Mr Lammy! Ban the machines and the need for councils to intervene will go away though.
who, thanks to the World Cup, are about to have a profitable summer.
Not if England win.
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It's not a bad letter is it John? I sincerely hope that Mr Lammy continues to pursue his aim of tackling betting shop saturation with the new government. He is now better able to speak freely on the subject. A repeal of the pernicious Gambling Act is probably too much to hope for, but lets have some serious amendments ...
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Permalink Reply by Omotn on
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I find the use of language interesting:
"Betting industry has been demonised" - when I was a lad an industry made something, there was a distinction between industry and commerce, between service and manufacturing. Yes, yes, I know language is a living breathing evolving thing but giving up important distinctions doesn't feel to me like living and breathing and evolving, it feels more like going all black and slimy at the bottom at the bottom of an infrequently emptied rubbish bin.
And "demonised" is an interesting one - its as though by making the accusation that calmly pointing out flaws is itself somehow demonic, which it probably isn't.
"Betting shops add to the vibrancy of the high street" - vibrant is another intersting case - 24 hour drinking is to thank for making our town centres the hub of "a lively and vibrant night time economy"- I don't get out much any more but I can clearly just how vibrant many of the pubs round the Archway used to be at chucking out time.
Remember also that Mr Lammy was part of a government that planned to regenerate inner cities by introducing super-casinos - can't imagine what sort of epiphany got that one cancelled.
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Agree: never has the word industry been more misused. Even commerce and 'retail' is more productive than the sub-zero-sum game the likes of William Hill purvey.
The loosening of the licensing laws (esp alcohol and betting) may have been promoted by the last government to demonstrate how free-market/ laissez-faire they were. But the notion that 24-hour alcohol would somehow lead to a Continental cafe society was always unlikely: its led to binge drinking where the police and hospitals have to pick up the pieces.
One thing I will credit GB with: after he became PM – I think it was the day after – he halted the spread of the American-style super-casinos green-lighted by TB. Much of the "regeneration" of Ally Pally was to revolve around a casino in the basement – assiduously promoted by a small group of Haringey councillors.
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