The Licensing Committee meeting on Thursday 11 December 2025 was adjourned shortly after commencing. The primary reason for the adjournment was the late receipt of substantial additional papers concerning the Lambeth Statement of Principles for Gambling 2025-2028, which required further review by both the committee members and officers. A new date for the meeting will be set in the new year to allow all ten members of the licensing subcommittee to contribute.

Lambeth Statement of Principles for Gambling 2025-2028

The meeting was scheduled to discuss the Lambeth Statement of Principles for Gambling 2025-2028. This is a statutory document that the council is required to publish every three years to outline how it will exercise its responsibilities under the Gambling Act 2005. The proposed policy updates existing content for clarity and incorporates new public health data on gambling-related harms. Key proposed changes include mandatory consultation with treatment services for applications outside of midday to 10 pm operating hours, requiring operators to demonstrate how they will contribute to supporting vulnerable individuals, and removing the existing no casino resolution. The definition of vulnerable persons has also been updated to include shift workers, late-night/early gamblers, young adults, individuals with mental health conditions, and those experiencing debt or homelessness. The policy also includes suggested risk assessment templates and updated information on gambling vulnerability zones and clusters within the borough.

The report indicated that the review and formulation of the new policy had been funded from existing budgets, with no further financial implications. The recommendations were to adopt the changes to the Gambling Policy Statement for 2025-2028 and to recommend the draft Statement of Principles 2022-2025 to Cabinet for formal adoption and approval.

The meeting was adjourned before any decisions could be made on this item.