A Southampton betting shop is under investigation after a teenager was allowed to place a bet without being asked for identification to check his age.
National betting shop chain Coral has said it is investigating an incident that took place inside its shop on St Mary Street in Southampton.
It is understood by the Echo that a teenager was able to enter the busy shop and place a bet on a fixed odds betting terminal without being challenged by staff and asked for ID.
The licensing team from Southampton and Eastleigh Licensing Partnership has confirmed it is aware of the incident and visited the shop to undertake a 'compliance visit'.
It has also been confirmed by the licencing team that the incident was self reported by Coral.
A spokesperson for the licensing team said: "We are aware of an incident whereby a person under the age of 18 was found with a betting slip from a fixed odds betting terminal from inside Corals, St Mary Street.
"The incident was self-reported to us by Corals themselves, and we have been working with them to investigate the circumstances.
"In the meantime, Corals have put extra measures in place to prevent a re-occurrence, and we have undertaken an additional compliance visit last week ensure that the premises is complying with its obligations under the Gambling Act."
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Fixed odds betting terminals, commonly known as FOBTs, allow customers to place rapid electronic bets on games and sporting events and have long been the subject of scrutiny over gambling harms and underage access.
A spokesperson for Coral added: "We take these allegations seriously and are currently investigating the matter."
Under the Gambling Act 2005, betting shops are required to prevent anyone under the age of 18 from gambling, with staff expected to carry out age verification checks where necessary.
Many betting shops also run 'Challenge 25' policies, requiring anyone who appears under 25 to provide identification before placing bets or using gaming machines.
Southampton and Eastleigh Licensing Partnership regularly carries out compliance checks and works with gambling operators to ensure they are meeting legal responsibilities around age-restricted activity.
