Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to abolish a controversial gambling regulation that critics say strips local communities of the power to prevent new bookmakers and 24-hour slot machine shops from opening.
What is the 'aim to permit' rule?
In a coordinated letter to the Prime Minister, a coalition of nearly 300 politicians and campaigners has demanded an end to the 'aim to permit' policy. This rule, introduced under Tony Blair's government in 2005 when gambling laws were liberalised, places a legal duty on licensing authorities like local councils or the Gambling Commission to favour the approval of new gambling premises.
Labour MP Dawn Butler, who coordinated the letter, stated the rule has rendered councils 'powerless to refuse licence applications', even when there is significant local opposition. The signatories argue this has led to a surge of betting shops and so-called 'slot sheds' – adult gaming centres filled with electronic machines – hollowing out high streets, particularly in economically deprived areas.
A call for stronger local powers
The campaigners acknowledged a government pledge from last year to grant councils more power by allowing them to consider 'cumulative impact assessments'. These assessments would examine the existing concentration of gambling venues in an area. However, they argue this promised measure 'does not go far enough' and the fundamental 'aim to permit' principle must be scrapped entirely.
'This call for change is not about banning the occasional bet,' the letter signatories, who include Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, wrote. 'It is about protecting our high streets, supporting vulnerable residents, and ensuring that councils have the tools to act in the interests of their communities.'
They have urged the Prime Minister to meet a delegation to discuss abolishing the rule, which has been a cornerstone of British gambling regulation since the Gambling Act fully came into force in 2007.
The scale of the problem and industry response
The campaign highlights stark figures, indicating that more than a million people in Britain suffer from a gambling problem, with up to 20% of the population directly or indirectly harmed by gambling-related issues, including financial ruin, strained public services, and suicide.
In response, a spokesperson for the Betting & Gaming Council, the industry's lobby group, defended the sector's economic contribution. They stated that betting shops alone support 46,000 jobs and contribute nearly £1bn a year in direct tax, plus £60m in business rates to local councils. They also pointed to a 29% decline in the number of betting shops since 2019, with over 2,300 closures resulting in significant job and tax revenue losses.
MP Dawn Butler has applied for a 10-minute rule bill in Parliament to debate the issue, a procedural step that, while not creating law, tests the political appetite for future legislation. The letter was signed by 46 MPs, six peers, 216 councillors, and numerous regulatory reform campaigners.
