A partnership between the council and gaming and betting shops will be set up to tackle problem gambling in the Towns.

The Medway Responsible Gambling Partnership is the first of its kind and will meet four times a year.

Its job will be to discuss local issues around gambling and come up with ways of fixing problems.

Details will be agreed by the end of next month, but councillors have hailed it as a step forward in tackling the problem.

The discussions were held following concerns about the extent of gambling problems in Medway, where estimates of money spent on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals have been as high as £200 million a year.

There are 1,000 FOBTs in the Towns.

Labour leader Cllr Vince Maple said practical measures could include shops sharing information on people who have banned themselves – called “self-exclusion” – because of their addiction and those causing anti-social behaviour.

The agreement was the result of talks between councillors, representatives of local betting shops, gaming arcades and bingo halls and the Association of British Bookmakers on Wednesday .

Both sides spoke about tackling problem gambling, improving consumer protection and promoting responsible gambling.

Cllr Mike O’Brien (Con) said: “Today’s meeting was very productive and opens the way for a new approach to dealing with problem gambling.

“There are still details to iron out but this agreement, the first voluntary gambling partnership in the country, offers a real opportunity for the Medway gaming and betting trade to show that it takes problem gambling seriously.”

Cllr Maple said: “It is essential that progress continues to be made in ensuring everything that can possibly be done to help problem gamblers is being done.”

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Geoff Juby said: “I was pleased to see so many other representatives from the gambling industry turn up for this meeting showing they treated the issue seriously and recognise it is something that needs to be done.”

Dirk Vennix, chief executive of the Association of British Bookmakers, said the partnership would “help to build on what is already in place”.

“Our members are heavily regulated and socially responsible businesses and were able to explain the many statutory and voluntary codes of conduct and procedures the industry already has in place,” he said.

Read our special report on gambling in the Medway Messenger on Friday.