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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Dawn Butler

To all the betting shops littering our high streets: people power is coming and the odds are against you

Man and woman at fixed odds gaming machines
Higher-stakes gambling machines can generate an average of £35,000 in gross yield per machine each year. Photograph: Islandstock/Alamy

How much gambling do you want in your high street? Are you happy with all the betting shops, the problems they cause, the effect on your environment?

It’s worth asking because for years, local councils have been expected to say yes to new gambling venues, even when communities made clear they did not want them. Now, under new rules announced on Monday, that’s about to change. And about time.

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