Council starts crack down on illegal gambling in Soho

Westminster City Council is working with the Gambling Commission to deliver training for  councils and police across London to assist in the identification and crack down on illegal gambling.

The council is hosting workshops for the national regulator, The Gambling Commission to update the capital's council and police licensing officers on the latest legislation and guidance on gambling at a time of concern about the social impact of problematic gambling.

The commission agreed to the sessions at Westminster amid concerns raised by councils that better advice and training was need to tackle illegal gaming machines within the capital. 

The now near fully booked workshops, to be attended by up to 120 delegates at Westminster City Hall, Victoria, next month will hear from gambling machine experts, on what to look for when checking machines and how to deal with illegally sited machines.

Westminster Chair of Licensing, Councillor Audrey Lewis said: "We are determined to get this right and to help other councils in this area.

"While legitimate gambling is perfectly proper entertainment, we also need to keep up to date with the latest developments in the industry. By hosting these sessions the council is helping to lead the way on this complex issue."

Proprietor of the Hippodrome Casino, Simon Thomas said: "Proper enforcement of gambling is vital and these workshops will offer strong guidance and the dos and don'ts for proprietors."