Andy Burnham moves to scrap the “aim to permit” rule for gambling venues across Britain

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced plans to abolish the “aim to permit” rule in the 2005 Gambling Act, giving local councils more room to block new betting shops and adult gaming centres in England, Scotland and Wales. For high-risk operators and their PSPs, the practical point is simple: venue approvals are set to become harder, and local planning permission is about to matter more.

1. The reform removes a rule that told local councils to lean toward approving applications for land-based gambling venues. Burnham said the change is meant to give local authorities greater power to reject new betting shops and adult gaming centres as part of a wider push to revive Britain’s high streets.
2. The announcement also adds new planning permission requirements for 24-hour adult gaming centres and for vape shops. Northern Ireland is not covered, because it operates under separate gambling legislation dating back to the 1980s.
3. Burnham had already indicated plans to reduce business rate relief for gaming halls and other high-street businesses seen as having a “negative impact” on society. Today’s reforms also tighten the definitions around vape shops, with the government saying it wants to stop businesses from presenting themselves as convenience stores to get around the rules.
4. Police powers will be expanded to shut down “dodgy” premises such as barbers, vape shops and nail salons linked to organised crime, and closure orders will be extended from six months to a year. That matters for operators because the enforcement perimeter is widening beyond gambling-only premises.
5. The move follows pressure from local government: 38 councils, including Greater Manchester, campaigned for the removal of the “aim to permit” rule, arguing that appeals often meant central government could overturn local refusals. Burnham said the aim is to put “communities back in control” and reverse the decline of town centres.

On paper this is a planning reform. In practice, it is a reminder that land-based gambling access in Britain is becoming more local, more political, and more exposed to council-level resistance — exactly the sort of thing that can change rollout plans, site economics, and the merchant risk profile around a venue-led business.