MHCLG tables amendment to introduce gambling impact assessments in English Devolution Bill

A government amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has been tabled that would give local authorities new statutory powers to introduce gambling impact assessments for their areas. This is the most significant step so far toward delivering a commitment first set out in the Gambling Act Review and later reaffirmed in the Government’s Pride in Place strategy, where ministers pledged to strengthen local control over the concentration of gambling premises.

The amendment represents a shift in terminology from the previously referenced cumulative impact assessments to gambling impact assessments (GIAs). While the underlying purpose remains the same—allowing councils to identify and respond to areas where gambling premises are overly concentrated—the updated term may reflect a broader or more flexible assessment framework. The amendment text is available on the Parliament website.

The Institute of Licensing has previously reported on the Government’s intention to introduce powers of this kind, highlighting the growing policy focus on “gambling saturation” and the need for councils to have stronger tools to manage local clustering of gambling venues. That earlier coverage noted the Government’s commitment to progressing the proposal and the sustained interest from local government and parliamentarians.

Pressure for reform has continued to build. MPs, councillors and campaigners have repeatedly called for enhanced local powers, and Lord Foster of Bath has attempted to introduce similar measures through several Bills in recent months. The tabling of this amendment marks the first time such powers have been formally proposed within a Government Bill.

The amendment is scheduled for debate during the House of Lords Report Stage on 13 April 2026. If approved, the Government will set an implementation date at a later stage. DCMS is already considering how GIAs will interact with other areas of gambling policy, including the recent consultation on bingo premises licensing. Because of these interdependencies, officials expect the commencement of GIA powers to follow Royal Assent rather than coincide with it.

If enacted, GIAs would give councils a formal mechanism to assess the impact of gambling premises in specific neighbourhoods and to use those assessments when determining future licensing applications. This would bring gambling licensing closer to the model used in alcohol licensing, where cumulative impact policies have been established for many years.