Political pressure continues to build on Britain’s retail betting sector after renewed calls to scrap “Aim to Permit” licensing in the UK. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is being asked to intervene to remove the legislation and replace it with the Ten Minute Rule Bill, which would ensure local councils have direct powers to approve or deny the establishment of betting shops or gambling spaces.
Dawn Butler, the member of parliament for Brent East, posted a statement on X on January 5 announcing she had secured 280 cross-party signatures. She said: “Councils and communities must have the power to say no to more gambling establishments. I’m honoured to have backing from mayors, councillors, MPs and campaigners. Gambling harm tears apart our communities yet these venues continue to proliferate on some high streets.”
The Gambling Act 2005 places a legal duty on both the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and local licensing authorities to “Aim to Permit” gambling, including the provision of facilities for gambling at a premises, so long as it is reasonably consistent with the pursuit of the statutory licensing objectives.
Those objectives include preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, ensuring gambling is conducted fairly and openly, and protecting children and vulnerable persons from harm. However, critics of the act say local leaders are powerless to reject applications, which in turn “hollows out” the high street, which is what the Ten Minute Rule will address.
How the new Ten Minute Rule works
The law as it is means councils and licensing authorities must generally give preference to approving new betting shops and gambling premises, limiting their ability to refuse them even amid local opposition.
The new rule would allow politicians 10 minutes to make a speech outlining why a law change is needed and what it would do. After the speech, another MP is given up to 10 minutes to oppose the motion. This is a formal part of the Ten Minute Rule procedure and gives the government or other parties a chance to express reservations or alternative views.
Ultimately, proponents of the bill argue it provides a formal parliamentary debate and opportunity to test support for abolishing “Aim to Permit” and give councils greater control over gambling licencing decisions.
Industry warns against repealing of Aim to Permit
While politicians appear eager to rein in the number of betting shops in Britain, industry bodies are urging lawmakers to see the bigger picture. The Betting & Gaming Council (BGC), the sector’s lobby group in Britain, said: “Betting shops alone support 46,000 jobs, contribute nearly £1bn a year in direct tax to the Treasury and a further £60m in business rates to local councils.
“Crucially, research by ESA Retail shows that 89% of betting shop customers also visit other local businesses when they go to the bookies, providing a welcome boost to high street trade. However, since 2019 the number of betting shops has fallen by 29%, over 2,300 closures in just five years, with the loss of thousands of jobs, and millions in tax revenue.”
Proponents of Butler’s new bill, however, would point to some alarming statistics pertaining to gambling addiction in the UK. A dedicated NHS gambling support service compiles data from research and public health sources. Their figures suggest that up to one in five people are affected either directly or indirectly, through pressures on public services, financial distress and suicide.
Betting shops already under pressure after Labour Party budget
In November, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a near-doubling of Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) from 21% to 40%. The tax targets the profits of online operators offering casino games, slots and bingo to British customers, paid to HMRC. The ramifications from the budget are already beginning to have a seismic effect on retail betting stores.
The owner of William Hill, Evoke plc, is planning to close up to 200 UK betting shops as part of cost-cutting measures amid industry pressures, with up to 1,500 jobs potentially affected.
Shops were already facing challenging market conditions, with data showing a 5% year-over-year decline in retail betting to gross gaming yield in a Q2 financial report from the UKGC in 2025. In addition, the combined number of sports bets placed and machine spins recorded in British betting shops slipped 2% to 3.1 billion.
As Butler prepares to use the Ten Minute Rule to test parliamentary support, the debate leaves ministers facing competing pressures, with calls from councils and campaigners for greater local control over gambling, and warnings from industry leaders that further regulatory change could accelerate high-street decline and job losses.
Whether the government opts to revisit the Gambling Act 2005 or leave the “Aim to Permit” framework intact, the issue is shaping up to be an early test of how Labour balances public-health concerns with economic realities in its approach to gambling reform.
