Dundee City Council is calling for a change in the law to stop gambling from causing problems for people in their communities.
A report to go before the policy and resources committee on Monday calls for a review of the Gambling Act 2005 by the Westminster Government to allow councils to restrict the location and number of betting shops.
It also proposes that council-owned properties should not be leased for the purposes of betting, and that publicly accessible and staff council computers could be blocked from access to gambling sites.
The SNP-led council declared its intentions after Labour member Richard McCready called at the weekend for firm action against the proliferation of betting shops and other gambling venues in the city.
He believed the issue could be as serious as alcohol over-provision, with a link being made between the amount of drink-related crime and ill health and the high number of premises licensed to sell alcohol.
The council is considering banning new drinks licences unless the applicant can prove their venue will not contribute to over-provision.
The NHS Choices report points to a link between gambling and alcohol abuse, with many gambling addicts hooked on alcohol.
The report to councillors by chief executive David Dorward explains also that across the UK there is a frequent correlation between locations of gambling establishments, premises licensed to sell alcohol and rates of multiple deprivation.
Dundee has 30 gambling venues and 19 of them (63%) are within 500 metres of areas designated as most deprived. The majority of betting shops are also close to pubs, clubs and off-sales premises.
The National Lottery and fundraising raffles are excluded from the council’s proposals as they are not regarded as the source of problem gambling.
Council leader Ken Guild, who convenes the policy and resources committee, said: “Gambling inflicts a heavy toll on individuals and families and I am keen that we do all we can to stop this.
“To make a real difference, we need appropriate powers given back to the council to ensure that decisions can be taken in the best interests of local people.
“Research has shown that availability and convenience are strongly associated with problem gambling and the 2005 Act created a more open regime under which gaming machines could be installed.
“This has led to them being widely dispersed throughout our communities and that encourages the very type of activity that is most associated with highest rates of problem gambling.
“We are proposing a series of simple measures to make sure that people cannot go online using our facilities to gamble away their scarce resources.
“I firmly believe that gambling is another of these industries where the promise of rich rewards only leads to misery and social problems, poverty and deprivation,” he said.
“The council is determined to help families and individuals during tough times, and this sensible approach to tackling gambling matches the ambitions we are following through our fairness strategy.”
Mr McCready said: “I welcome action by Dundee City Council on the issue of problem gambling and the regulation of bookies shops.
“It is important that all levels of government work together to deliver effective policy on this.”