Andy Burnham has dealt a significant blow to the UK’s high street betting industry with a pledge to revoke the Aim to Permit rule around gambling licensing.
The Aim to Permit rule currently limits the ability of local authorities to prevent betting shops and 24-hour slot machine venues from opening in their areas.
Burnham, a long-time sceptic of the gambling sector, wants to scrap the rule in favour of supporting community spaces over businesses that he believes cause social harm.
A large number of UK local governments have been calling for the Aim to Permit rule to be abolished for some time, and Burnham has shown clear sympathy toward those calls.
As reported by the BBC, Burnham stated that “the rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services, and community spaces that people are crying out for.”
Reports indicate that Burnham’s plans have scored an average favourability rating of 80.4, suggesting considerable public support for the proposed changes.
The independent think tank the Social Market Foundation has emerged as a vocal proponent of the decision, lending intellectual weight to Burnham’s position.
Gibraltar’s Gambling Commissioner Andrew Lyman has raised concerns, suggesting that such an amendment may only be achievable via a more extensive overhaul of the UK’s entire gambling regulatory framework.
The retail gambling industry has reacted with alarm, as the 2005 Gambling Act enshrined the Aim to Permit principle that operators have long relied upon for licensing certainty.
Companies including evoke’s William Hill, Entain’s Coral and Ladbrokes, Flutter Entertainment’s Paddy Power, and Betfred have all announced shop closures so far in 2026.
These operators have also warned that continued regulatory pressure is causing them to lose market share to the illegal gambling market, compounding an already difficult trading environment.
The combination of physical shop closures and mounting political pressure paints a challenging picture for the future of Britain’s high street betting sector throughout the remainder of 2026.
