12 Aug

Gambling News

Examining the legislative measures that Andy Burnham plans to implement on high street gambling

When Andy Burnham, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, said yesterday that the laws governing retail betting have been tightened, he was met with tremendous criticism for his contempt and ignorance of the gaming sector.

As he acknowledged a more stringent regulatory structure, he lumped the industry with "vape shops and dodgy businesses." Both industry stakeholders and lobbying MPs responded to it with equal vigor.

What specifically does he have planned for retail betting, though? Nick Arron, principal counsel for UK licensing firm Poppleston Allen, gave us insight into the impending changes to the gaming industry in Great Britain.

Arron admitted that the news is vague, but it is significant since it implies that the Gambling Act's "aim to permit" basis will be eliminated.

Additionally, he cautioned that a fast-track consultation would be possible and that the new law would probably take effect by the beginning of 2027.

Eliminating the intention to approve laws
"We have had aim to permit for 20 years, since the Act was introduced," Arron said in reference to the statute. The guidelines that a council's licensing body must follow while evaluating an application for a gambling premises license are outlined in Section 153. These guidelines apply to both bingo and casino locations as well as betting shops and adult gaming centers. 

According to the clause, "a licensing authority shall aim to permit the use of premises for gambling in exercising their functions under this part."  

In compliance with the Gambling Commission's guidelines and codes of practice, the licensing authority must "aim to permit." 

Additionally, their choice must be in line with the council's own Statement of Policy under the Act and be reasonably consistent with the licensing objectives.

The goals of licensing are:

(a) prohibiting gaming from contributing to criminal activity, being connected to criminal activity, or being utilized to finance criminal activity,

(b) making certain that gambling is carried out fairly and transparently, and

(c) preventing gambling from hurting or taking advantage of minors and other vulnerable people.

"The presumption of a grant subject to the operator's ability to uphold the licensing objectives will be eliminated if the government repeals the aim to permit concept.

"Betting shops are mentioned in the headlines, and the announcement also discusses adult gaming centers, or "AGCs," and how they have quickly expanded throughout numerous town centers. This is deceptive. The number of AGCs has decreased, with 1610 recorded in March 2015 and 1415 in March 2025, according to data from the Gambling Commission.

The number of licensed betting establishments on our high streets has significantly decreased from 8995 in March 2015 to 5825 in March 2025, a decrease of about 3,000, according to Gambling Commission data.

"The total number of gambling establishments decreased from 11,758 to 8234 during the same time period."

Effect on currently licensed locations
Arron emphasized that as there is currently no indication that the changes will directly affect current licenses, it is challenging to fully comprehend how the elimination of "aim to permit" will affect current AGCs and betting establishments. 

"It is likely that variations to existing licences will be more challenging because the principles that the licensing authority must follow are unlikely to be as positive as is currently the case under 'aim to permit,'" he stated. 

In fact, current operators might profit as it will probably be harder for rivals to open gambling establishments close by.

As he continues to localize authority and prioritize devolution, Burnham's initiatives may empower local councils. 

Even without the specifics, we can infer with some degree of certainty that new license applications for gambling establishments will be more difficult. The change will probably make it easier for licensing committees to reject applications or impose requirements when they receive complaints.

As a result, there might be fewer new applications for the council's licensing authority and fewer chances for the sector to grow and innovate. Once we obtain the specifics of the proposed amendments to the Act and the legal standard to be used when evaluating an application, we will know more. 

Additionally, since applicants have more work to do to convince a council that a new licence should be given, it's possible that any new applications become more difficult to approve. Additionally, as the courts are asked to interpret the new legal criteria, there may be an increase in appeals to the magistrate's court, especially in the early years.

Impact Assessments of Gambling
Additionally, considering the sector's overall impact, Arron emphasized that this announcement follows modifications to the Act already made by the previous administration, which incorporated the idea of "Gambling Impact Assessments" into the statute books with regard to applications for gambling premises licenses. 

"Those changes give councils the ability to opt out of 'aim to permit,' where they consult and evidence risks to the licensing objectives," he concluded.  It's unclear exactly where these adjustments end up.  

The fact that this further revelation was made before Gambling Impact Assessments were put into place or had time to alter our high streets may come as a bit of a surprise.

"Amendments to the Act's core legislation will be necessary to impact the announcement, necessitating parliamentary time. The short 6-week consultation session may have been suggested because of the tight deadlines for making the adjustments by early 2027. Along with other relics from the 2023 Gambling Act white paper, the government's to-do list still includes bingo licenses and modifications to category D gaming devices.

"There is obviously political will to give councils more authority to restrict gambling establishments, but there is still a lot to learn."