Councils Set to Gain New Powers to Block Betting Shops

Local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are on course to gain real power to say no to new betting shops and gaming centres, after Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed plans to scrap the “aim to permit” rule that has underpinned gambling licensing since 2005. A fresh analysis published this week by Liverpool’s local press has set out exactly what the change will and won’t allow councils to do once it takes effect, expected from the start of 2027.

What’s actually changed

Under
Section 153 of the Gambling Act 2005, licensing authorities must currently aim to permit gambling premises when applications comply with the legislation, Gambling Commission guidance and the three licensing objectives
. In practice, this has meant councils have had very limited grounds to refuse a new betting shop or 24-hour gaming centre as long as the paperwork stacked up, regardless of how many similar venues already exist nearby or what residents think.

Under the current system, councils have limited ability to reject a new betting shop or gaming centre application as long as it satisfies licensing conditions — regardless of how many similar venues already exist nearby or how residents feel about it. Scrapping that rule would hand local authorities real discretion to say no
.
Aim to Permit will be scrapped throughout the whole of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)
, though
Northern Ireland has its own gambling legislation dating back to the 1980s, and the 2005 Gambling Act and Aim to Permit rule does not apply there
.

Alongside this,
new adult gaming centres would additionally require planning permission in England, closing a loophole that currently lets them open with the same ease as a coffee shop or clothing retailer
.
The government said the changes would be subject to consultation before legislation is introduced
, and
a fast-tracked consultation on the new measures is expected to run for six weeks, with the government aiming to have the changes in force from the start of 2027
.

Crucially, the Liverpool analysis stresses this isn’t a blanket ban.
an assessment has to set out its evidence, and the presumption it creates can be rebutted by an applicant who shows their premises would be consistent with the objectives after all, so the council does not simply get to say no, it has to build a case, street by street, out of things it can count
. Burnham has framed the change as restoring local control, saying
“the rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services, and community spaces that people are crying out for”
.

The Betting and Gaming Council has pushed back hard, arguing the industry is being unfairly lumped in with rogue traders.
A BGC spokesperson told the Racing Post that shop numbers have actually fallen by more than a third since 2019, with roughly 3,000 closures and over 15,000 jobs lost in that span
, adding that
surviving shops still support 37,500 jobs and bring valuable footfall to neighbouring businesses
.

What it means for you

If you visit a licensed betting shop or an adult gaming centre, this won’t change how your account works, how deposit limits apply, or your access to safer-gambling tools. What it could change is whether a new one opens near you at all. Councils such as Newham and Hackney, which have long complained about clustering of betting shops in already deprived areas, are expected to use the new powers to build evidence-based cases against further concentration in specific neighbourhoods. If you’re concerned about the density of gambling premises on your own high street, this reform is the mechanism your council will eventually have to challenge new applications, provided it can point to concrete, local evidence.

The bigger picture

This sits alongside a broader retreat of the retail betting estate.
The announcement comes as retail bookmakers continue to reduce the size of their estates amid higher operating costs and gambling taxes, with Betfred recently announcing plans to close 132 UK betting shops and cut more than 600 jobs from September, citing increased employer National Insurance contributions, wage inflation, wider economic uncertainty and higher gambling duties
.
Evoke closed approximately 200 William Hill shops in April, while Entain has also moved to reduce the size of its Ladbrokes estate in Ireland
.

The rule change forms part of a wider pattern of the government tightening the screws on how and where gambling is offered on the high street, running in parallel with online reforms such as slot stake limits and affordability checks. For players, the direction of travel is consistent: more local and national scrutiny of where and how gambling products are marketed and made available, even as operators warn that piling further restrictions onto an already shrinking retail sector risks accelerating shop closures rather than reviving high streets.

Sources

• Click Liverpool – What will Liverpool actually be able to refuse on its high streets?
• Racing Post – Andy Burnham set to scrap ‘aim to permit’ rule to give local councils more power to block betting shops
• SBC News – Burnham prepares big blow to UK high street bookmakers
• Casino.com – Burnham to scrap ‘aim to permit’ rule for betting shops amid closures
• European Gaming – UK scraps ‘aim to permit’ gambling rule for councils