27/02/2017 Inside Out West Midlands

Hello and welcome to this week's Inside Out West Midlands.

Tonight, gambling online and the loophole that's allowing

You fill in your bank details then the funds will be deposited into the

betting account and then you can stop betting.

Also in the programme, why getting noticed is the first job

for candidates bidding to become Mayor for the Midlands.

Do you know who any of these people are? No. No.

And we check out Coventry's bid to be the next UK City of Culture.

I'm Ayo Akinwolere and this is Inside Out West Midlands.

But first, online gambling is hugely profitable.

Understandably, there are strict rules to stop under 18s betting.

But as Qasa Alom's been finding out, there's concern about a loophole

Did you know teenagers are twice as likely to gamble

as they are smoke, drink or even take drugs?

They're taken in by the glamour, the thrill the clever advertising.

The thing is, to even get into somewhere like here,

you're going to have to prove your age first.

And like anything addictive, once you've had a taste

you could get hooked and last year almost half a million checks

were carried out to make sure children weren't getting

We have door supervisors and the receptionists

And we operate a Challenge 25 policy.

So if somebody looks under the age of 25 they must show positive ID

Whether it's at the roulette table here in the casino,

the bookies or betting on a sports match ? the rules are clear?

And it should be exactly the same in online gambling because that's

where teenagers might still be tempted to try their luck isn't it?

There's been a rapid rise in online betting ? last year the whole

gambling industry was worth ?13 billion pounds.

?4.5 billion of that came from bets made on laptops, tablets and phones.

Or in other words a third of all bets placed.

Meaning the online betting sector is now bigger than the lottery

To keep up with this change, stop underage online

betting and improve safety - the Gambling Commission has

tightened up security measures What they've done is stopped

new punters taking any money out until their age has been verified .

But there is a way under 18s can still open an account and get

And that's something football mad Lewis thinks needs looking at.

He knows about the lure of gambling online.

I won quite a lot of money ? I won the best part of two grand at one

point and obviously after winning that I felt really happy

and like I could do it again if I wanted to and sort of ever

since then I sort of have been hooked I guess Yeah, yeah,

a lot of my mates didn't believe me at the time and obviously

they were impressed with the bet slip and quite impressed at how I've

But eventually, and predictably, his luck ran out.

I owed my dad a bit of money for the car

I saved my money each week and thought, I could easily double

this if I put it down on a be and I lost the money.

I didn't even want to tell my dad at the point but it came

Lewis is now 19 and has squared things with his dad.

But he wants to warn other teenagers about the dangers of getting a taste

I think ever since I have started betting it has always been

there and it always will be, I think.

It always is there and I don't think it'll go away.

The new age verification rules would have stopped Lewis winning big

But it's not only the chance of winning big that's

No, I think it's like a rights of passage thing to become an adult.

It's the excitement of it, the chance of winning something.

There's lots of adverts on television to win something

so I think young people see the opportunity of oh

I could have a bet on this and it's socially acceptable or not.

And he seems to be right because only a quarter of teens

asked said they'd their motivation to gamble was the money.

So let's just clear up what the new rules

Gambling companies carry out background checks

If these checks are inconclusive, you have 72 hours to send photo ID

And remember, until then no money is ever paid out.

So the rules seem pretty strict but do they go far enough?

We're using a 16 year old's identity to put that to the test on a number

of sports betting sites, starting with one from our region -

And to be clear, the company complies with all the current

Surely it wouldn't be possible to place an underage bet, right?

You fill in your bank details, then the funds will be deposited

into the betting account and then you can start betting.

year old's bank details we placed bets with Bet 365.

What's more,last year 57,000 online accounts on all betting sites

were opened and then frozen, when customers didn't

Well Unlike a bookies or a casino where you have

to prove your age before you bet - in the online world you have 72

And Lewis think these rules should be reviewed as well

because it could lead to underage problem gamblers.

It shouldn't really happen for the Under 18s because it's sort

of like they'll end up what's happened to me sort

of like I've got this problem since I've been under 18.

On our findings The Remote Gambling Association which represents these

Wouldn't it just be more effective to close this 72

What I would say is that it's clearly an issue if a young person's

been able to access online gambling and where it's not appropriate

There is an obligation on the industry to keep vulnerable

people and young people safe from the risks of problem gambling.

And people we asked thought the answer is simple.

If you're under 18, you can't bet, full stop!

No, they shouldn't be allowed to do it in the first place,

you know ask their age or verify their age before they even

You shouldn't be able to play until your verified.

When I grew up we weren't allowed any playing cards like gambling

games at all and I think that's about right.

My children are grown up now but I'd be frightened all the time if I'd

got young children or grandchildren that go online.

What does Tim Miller think ? he's boss of the Gambling Commission.

Clearly online gambling is not a place children should be gambling

and I think in an ideal world you'd be able to stop it immediately

and worry though if we took that approach is maybe children would go

onto sites that aren't licensed that don't have them protections

in place and actually could put at in greater risk.

Will you be considering any further and tighter security measures?

It wouldn't be right for me to kind announce on this particular

programme what advice we might give to government in everything we do

the thing we have in front of our minds is to protect

vulnerable people particularly children from gambling.

So the Gambling Commission says they're going to review

I guess we will have to wait and see, but I wouldn't put a bet on it.

Later on, stand-up comic and actor Tom Price will be finding out

if Coventry has what it takes to be the UK City of Culture.

Culturally, there are a lot of different cultures in Coventry, all

living happily side-by-side, and they always have been. For me, a lot

of what was happening was happening in Coventry and in and around the

area. But first the election few wanted

and fewer still seem to know about. But yet the new directly-elected

Metro Mayor will have a huge Chef and Brummie businessman

Glyn Purnell has been finding out There's change on the political menu

for the West Midlands. Just like New York and London,

we're getting an elected mayor, whether we've an appetite

for it or not. And it means a shift in power

placing more of the big decisions It is up to local people to decide

whether they're interested in their communities taking part

in this new revolution in city government but equally I am not

interested in in a halfway house, I'll only transfer major

powers to those cites who choose to have a directly

elected metro mayor. Councils in the West Midlands signed

up to the former Chancellor's plan and in May we get to vote

for our mayor. But how many of us even know

the election is happening or what actual powers

he or she will have? The mayor will head up the West

Midlands Combined Authority, a kind of super council stretching

across our region, and that's going to have a knock

on effect to how things work Decisions made by the new mayor

to do with issues around transport and the economy won't just impact

on people living in those areas. It's a big change,

a new leader for our region, Maybe the man who came up

with the idea can tell me? So whether it's how you get to work

on school on the train or the bus or the roads,

the kind of skills your kids are going get in the future,

hosuing, the envirmt, all of thse issues are now

going to be decided by the mayor London's had elected

mayors since 2000. First there was Ken Livingstone

who brought in the congestion But it was Boris Johson who led

London through the Olympics and introduced his Boris Bikes

who really put his stamp on the job. Mayors aren't new of course,

when I think of a mayor, I think of the chains,

the robes, but that's a Lord mayor, this is different, this

is a new kind of mayor, They'll be able to make decisions

that directly affect us right here in the West Midlands,

decisions about housing, jobs and transport that

are currently made 100 miles A big part of the mayor's job

will be transport ? roads, trams, buses and trains -

we all need to get from A to B. I asked people on this tram

from Birmingham to Wolverhampton Do you know who any of these people

candidates so far declared. Do you know who any of these people

are? So not household names like BoJo

and Red Ken quite yet, but what do Social care, education and

transport. The trams are good, but the buses are temperamental. Maybe

housing for younger adults. And the big question,

now they know the mayor can help improve the things that matter

to them will they be putting If it benefits me, yes. Yes, once

I've done my research. Most people don't have any

idea, but great to see the enthusiasm once they find out

a little bit more. But it seems it's not just

commuters who are in the dark about this election,

in a recent poll it turned out business owners have a lot

of unanswered questions too. Henrietta took a poll of 500

businesses across the WM area, and found 51% not aware of election,

also 59% mayoral So this election hasn't grabbed

the attention of commuters or the business world but someone

who knows a whole lot more about She joined me back at the diner

and explained that the mayor could really put the West Midlands

on the map. They'll be a really important

visible and accountable What powers will they have? There is

potential for power to be increased, as was the case of the London there.

This is a new role, so it's very much for people to make of it what

they will. Different candidates have different skills and experience.

London's Mayors have made a huge impact, I'm meeting up with five

candidates who think they've got what it takes to do as good a job

Here are their fifteen second pitches for your vote.

James Burn is a councillor for Chelmsley Wood, he's standing

I don't want to focus just on help and big multinationals in areas that

are already doing well. I want to help small businesses to create

decent jobs in the least well-off areas because those areas have been

ignored for a long time and has to. UKIP's candidate is Pete Durnell,

a computer expert from Warley. The metro mayor needs to be open and

honest and transparent and that is what I will be. We need to set

realistic and achievable goals that is what I will do, driving the

region forward with passion and fighting for at every level.

Beverley Nielsen is a Worcestershire born business woman and former

regional director of the CBI ? she's standing for the Lib Dems.

I'm standing for the change that you want, but what the main parties have

failed to deliver. As mayor I will deliver decent homes, decent

transport and decent services. I'm against austerity and for

investment, not cuts. Labour's candidate is former Mp

and now MEP Sion Simon. We need to take back control of the

West Midlands from London. This is my community, where I came from, and

I want to put power back in the hands of the West Midlands. We have

been run by London too long and let down by them for too long.

Former John Lewis boss Andy Street is the conservative party candidate.

It is a great opportunity for Anwer region and make sure that the

success that we see in some parts of the region are generally willingly

shared amongst everybody. It's about shared amongst everybody. It's about

all sharing in success. So lots of big promises

there about what the candidates But there's one ingredient they'll

need for the job to succeed, and that's us, they need a big

turnout at the election. All the evidence shows

that the more people who vote for a directly elected mayor,

the more influence they have to do In the case of the LM the way

in which that role was taken up and the high profile it was given

enabled LM to gain So the more of us who vote the more

clout the mayor will have to shout up for the West Midlands both

in London and abroad. But turnout for elections can be

low, fewer than 30% of people voted in the police and crime commissioner

elections last year?why should in the police and crime commissioner

elections last year. I think the issues that new mayor

of the WM is gonna be dealing with are real bread and butter

issues, they're about the local transport, the kind of skills

and jobs coming into the area, the standard of living,

they're really important to people and of course it matters

who is the mayor. There'll be good mayors and bad

mayors, and you've gotta make sure as a voter you pick the right person

and that can make a huge difference to your family,

your area and your future. This is a direct vote for a directly

elected mayor so everyone's vote counts and it's always said that

if you don't vote you get So there we have it,

if we don't go out to vote, then we can't complain

about the result. The mayor will take office for three

years. One thing is for sure whether we want it or bother to vote, we are

getting a mayor. Time now for our last film about,

you guessed it, Coventry. Take a walk and you can find

lots of traces of this city's The Guildhall here has a heritage

dating back 700 years. But Coventry's also looking

to the future by bidding to become UK City of Culture

in four years time. There's tough competition so how

realistic are Coventry's chances? Actor and comedian Tom Price

has been finding out. I'm taking a tour around

the West Midlands, visiting the three cities in the region

bidding for the coveted title of UK The winner will be

announced later this year. Last week I was in Hereford

? city of my birth. This week it's Coventry,

a place I spent a lot of time in when I was a student just a few

miles away at the We all know the problems Coventry's

had ? blitzed by the Germans, rebuilt in a mass of concrete,

and then there's the Coventry Ring Road ? one of my top three ring

roads in the country. But it's a city trying really hard

to change outsiders' perceptions. So let's crack on and look at why

the city is quietly confident it's We're a great people

in Coventry, many times over. We have so much talent,

how good Coventry people are and what great assets we have

and to come and visit. FarGo Village, just outside

the city centre, is home to a number of artists,

both traditional and, shall we say, Does this circle

represent the ring road? Yes, that's right, Ian Cook paints

using radio controlled cars. Well we never did anything like this

in art when I was at school. Historically linked to car industry

but not linked to creativity so much so hopefully it'll not only showcase

people like myself and the others at Fargo but others who may

want to bring their business here. Give it ten years and you'll

be alright with it. Although Coventry is perhaps better

known for cars than concerts, it does have a musical heritage

of note ? Two Tone is a fusion of punk and ska born

here in the late 70s.Pauline Black was lead singer of the Selector

and she's excited about what winning Myself and other artists can only

welcome money, social aspect, that's what the music that I come

from which is Two Tone has always been involved

with is getting cultures together. Culturally there are a lot

of different cultures in Coventry In fact that could be

one of Coventry's strengths when it We have a very diverse population,

over 100 languages and we have fantastic integration but you can

always do things better. We want to be staging 1000 events

throughout the city and ideally on every street in the city

and this, yes definitely Asian communities play

a hugely important role Her father came to Coventry

in the '50s and ?almost inadvertently set about creating

a great wealth of archive He started taking pictures from 1951

onwards so there's a lot of history. And it tells a really important

story about Coventry. It does ? it shows how South Asian

migrants settled in Cov Now in his 90s Tarla's

father,known best as Masterji, He had his first

exhibition in November. And in fact, thanks partly

to some significant funding from the Coventry 2021 bid team,

this exhibition is going to go on tour to Mumbai which is a great

way of showcasing Coventry Masterji's photos are almost

entirely about Coventry and Coventry's people,

but the 2021 proposals aren't Interestingly, the Bid Team has

managed to get off the ring road This is the University of Warwick,

my old stomping ground, Warwick University's campus is just

a few miles from Coventry city centre and I was a student

here in the late '90s. I actually remember

when all this was fields. Jonothan Neelands is a professor

here, and also part Part of the Warwick contribution

is world class researchers, urban geographers, and of course

Warwick Arts Centre ? major venue but it also plays an important

stewardship role bringing Like all the cities bidding

Coventry's certainly got an eye on youth ? in fact it's even

appointed a youth ambassador. Ashley Jordan's a Coventry

born and bred performer. As a dancer everyone goes

to London but for me a lot As a dancer everyone goes

to London but for me a lot Ashley says the bid team have been

really supportive to him and other Really helpful to get different

voices talking about the bid Even in the run up some

of the projects are really exciting. At the moment I'm

making a dance film. Don't want to give too much away

but def a place to keep an eye on. It's been great to be back

in Coventry and of course Warwick university and I've been impressed

by what I've seen and when it comes to those behind the bid,

they're pretty confident. I don't think everyone knows that

and we're going to show the world! So Tom's reported on the Coventry

and Hereford bids for us and he rounds up next week in Stoke,

our third City of Culture contender. Don't forget you can catch up

with all tonight's films on the iPlayer and follow us

on Twitter - @bbciowm, That's your lot for this week. We'll

see you next week. Next week, plans for a clean air

zone in Birmingham. The lessons we learn from a similar scheme in

Germany and how much difference will it really make?

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