The Labour Party is coming under increasing pressure from within its own ranks to remove the statutory ‘Aim to Permit’ loophole from its updated take on the Gambling Act.
Dawn Butler, the Labour MP for Brent East, has called upon her government to end Aim to Permit, which she believes allows betting firms to open up new slot machine and gambling premises – known as Adult Gaming Centres – in low-income areas beyond the control of local councils.
And councillors in other constituencies are also calling for ‘common sense changes’ to prevent gambling operators from circumventing planning law under the Aim to Permit clause.
What Is Aim to Permit?
As part of the Gambling Act, the legislation
places a legal duty on both the Gambling Commission and licensing authorities to aim to permit gambling, in so far as it is considered to be reasonably consistent with the pursuit of the licensing objectives.
Section 153 of the Gambling Act enforces a statutory obligation on local councils to approve gambling venues, despite any opposition they may have, where the planning application meets with the minimum criteria required. Councillors have some rights in rejecting proposals for new Adult Gaming Centres and gambling establishments to be opened, however the Aim to Permit loophole means that operators will generally have the upper hand on appeal.
A Huge Problem in Lower Income Areas
It’s an area of grave concern for councillors, particularly in deprived areas – which gambling operators tend to target due to the local customer base and also the likelihood of lower property rental costs on the high street. According to publicly available data, around 30% of all Adult Gaming Centres in England are located in areas that are defined economically as ‘deprived’. Meanwhile, in local authority areas defined as the wealthiest, not a single licensed gambling venue is to be found.
Deborah Heneghan, of West Norfolk Borough Council, is part of a coalition of local councillors determined to lobby the government for a resolution. She commented:
Aim to Permit is the thing that we are trying to change. When this is enforced, it requires councils to regulate the industry in a way to that seeks to permit it versus prevent it.
If you do reject an application, this can result in very long and expensive appeals process. We as a local have little power to stop it.
Dawn Butler is an MP that has been leading the fight against Aim to Permit. “It’s time our planning laws stop these gambling companies preying on communities that are often vulnerable and deprived,” she has argued. “Why are there barely any betting shops in Canary Wharf but rows of them in places like Bethnal Green?” In truth, she probably knows the answer already.
Proud to see the spotlight on this vital campaign.
I’m fighting to protect people, and our high streets.
Let’s start by scrapping Aim to Permit, to give constituents voice and Councils the chance to say no to more gambling establishments. 1/2https://t.co/oI2x3zQSVn
— Dawn Butler ✊🏾💙 (@DawnButlerBrent) July 29, 2025
The Labour MP has now formally put forward a parliamentary motion that calls for legislative changes to the Gambling Act. They would hand more powers to local councils to reject planning applications from operators in areas where they already have a strong presence on the high street.
The motion already has the support of dozens of ministers, local councillors and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham. They have also written collectively to Lisa Nandy, the secretary of the DCMS, airing their concerns.
Rise and Fall
While the number of betting shops owned by licensed UK bookmakers has been in decline over the past five years, they have often been replaced by Adult Gaming Centres operated by brands like Merkur. Since the start of the pandemic, it’s thought that as many as 3,000 high street betting shops in the UK have closed their doors permanently – a real terms loss of around 30% of the entire sub-industry.
However, operators like Merkur and Cashino have used Aim to Permit in some towns and cities to fill the void, with hundreds of new establishments opening their doors in recent years. In their 2023 annual report, Merkur posted a net revenue of €3.8 billion (£3.3 billion). That same year, one of their customers – a cancer patient – was able to gamble nearly £2,000 in a Merkur adult gaming venue in a single session without any intervention from staff. The firm was fined £95,450 by the Gambling Commission.