Gambling Impact Assessments will not be in force before Parliament’s summer recess

The Government has confirmed that Gambling Impact Assessments (GIAs) will not be brought into force before Parliament rises for the summer recess, meaning licensing authorities will have to wait several more months before they can begin using the new powers.

Responding to a written parliamentary question from Labour MP Alex Ballinger, Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross said:

“We do not anticipate bringing GIAs into force ahead of summer recess, but expect them to be in place by the end of the year.” 

Once commenced, GIAs will allow councils to identify areas where evidence suggests additional gambling premises would undermine one or more of the licensing objectives. Authorities will be able to include a presumption within their Statement of Gambling Principles against granting new premises licences within the area covered by a GIA, although each application must still be determined on its individual merits. 

The latest statement follows earlier confirmation from the Government that the Gambling Commission would consult on guidance before the new regime comes into force.

In response to an earlier parliamentary question, ministers said the Commission was working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to develop guidance for licensing authorities and that a consultation would take place “in due course” before the guidance was finalised. 

However, despite that commitment, no consultation has yet been launched.

The Gambling Commission has previously indicated that the guidance will assist local authorities in implementing GIAs using robust evidence and meaningful consultation with communities, operators and other stakeholders. 

While the Government has now ruled out commencement before the summer recess, ministers continue to expect the provisions to be brought into force before the end of 2026. 

The introduction of GIAs represents one of the most significant changes to premises licensing under the Gambling Act 2005 since its introduction. The new provisions are intended to give licensing authorities greater ability to manage the concentration of gambling premises in areas where there is evidence that further licences could contribute to gambling-related harms, while retaining the requirement for individual licence applications to be considered on their own merits.