Group of local authorities demands greater gambling licensing powers

Nearly 40 local authorities, led by Brent Council’s Cllr Muhammed Butt, are arguing that the Gambling Act 2005 simply no longer meets today’s challenges.

They point to a surge of gambling premises on high streets that not only spark community opposition but also raise issues around public health, financial stress, and safety.

Instead of a wholesale ban on gambling, the proposal calls for empowering local councils to have more proactive control over license applications and planning decisions related to such venues.

Here are some of the key proposed changes:

• Reforming the ‘aim to permit’ policy: This would give councils the authority to reject applications for gambling premises that they believe could harm community welfare and safety, rather than just rubber-stamping them under a policy that prioritizes new licenses.

• Categorisation of premises: By aligning bingo halls and adult gaming centres with bookmakers under the National Planning Policy Framework, the hope is to prevent operators from bypassing current restrictions simply by splitting their operations across different venue types.

• Local planning considerations: The proposals suggest that councils should be able to factor in local issues like household debt levels when evaluating planning applications—especially for high street casinos, to avoid clusters of gambling dens near sensitive areas such as schools.

• Statutory levy for harm prevention: There’s a push to fund research, education, and treatment related to gambling harm through a levy on operators. Importantly, it’s recommended that an independent public body oversee this process, ensuring that the funding directly benefits local health concerns.

• Advertising overhaul: A call to clamp down on gambling advertising and promotion aims to protect vulnerable groups, particularly children and young people, from constant exposure.

• Restricting liberalisation of adult gaming centres: By following recommendations from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, the idea is to reassess aspects such as spin speed and staking levels on machines that are particularly harmful.

Cllr Butt said:

“The communities we serve are experiencing these detrimental impacts, owing to the proliferation of gambling venues. To be clear, we are not calling for an outright ban on gambling in any form; but instead, we are offering our collective support for much-needed reform of the legislation for the modern age.”