A senior Highland councillor has urged his colleagues to take a stance against betting machines.
Members of Highland Council’s licensing board is to consider whether to ask for Holyrood to be granted more powers over gambling regulation.
Councillor Richard Laird, Inverness Central, has called for his fellow council members to endorse plans for the Scottish Government to regulate fixed odds betting machines, which are currently only controlled by Westminster.
Mr Laird resigned from the board in 2013 in protest over the issue after a council decision to oppose a new bookmakers in the Merkinch area of the city was overturned.
He said: “The Scottish Parliament is currently conducting an inquiry into these machines and the Board will be asked to support the call to allow for limits to be placed on their proliferation.
“I encourage everyone on the board to back this call and to take a stance to protect our poorer communities from being targets for this exploitative method of gambling.”
The power to regulate the number of fixed odds betting machines was initially suggested as part of the package of devolved powers in the Smith Commission.
However, the Scottish Government have since written to Westminster after the Scotland Bill was published this year in the wake of the Smith Commission’s recommendations.
A “call for evidence” has now been published by the Scottish Government to all local authorities.
A draft response by Highland Council solicitor Susan Blease says that under current regulation “the board has very little control over the proliferation” of betting machines.
She added: “For example in a particular part of Inverness, which incidentally is close to an area of social deprivation, there are now three betting premises within 200m (656ft) of each other, with each entitled to make up to four fixed odds betting terminals available for use.”
Ms Blease calls for an amendment to policy which would allow authority’s to refuse permission for a new bookmakers if it it is considered that the number available exceeds the amount deemed appropriate.