The Responsible Gambling Trust has published geographic analysis of the location of licensed betting offices with gaming machines.

RGT

The analysis, conducted by Geofutures and commissioned by the RGT, forms part of the programme of research requested by the government, the gambling regulator and the industry to help inform policy decisions into gaming machines located in bookmakers.

The research, which utilised studies conducted by NatCen Social Research and Featurespace, found that there were approximately 9,350 betting shops with gaming machines in November 2014, down from a peak of around 9,700 in December 2013.

Mark Thurstain-Goodwin, managing director of Geofutures, said: “This research provides much-needed baseline information about the location of LBOs and the communities in which regular players live.

“Our aim was to document the relationship between area characteristics and LBOs, though not to look for specific evidence why these patterns occur – they are likely to be driven by a range of factors.”

Marc Etches, chief executive of the RGT, added: “This study confirms that betting shops with gaming machines tend to be located in higher density urban areas and reveals a correlation between close proximity to those shops and rates of crime and deprivation, numbers of ethnic minorities and numbers of economically inactive people.

“However the researchers uncovered no evidence of a causal link and it is clear that there is a need to understand local and historical factors.”