Councillors and local charities are calling for changes to gambling laws, arguing that current regulations make it difficult to prevent the expansion of betting shops and gaming venues on high streets.
Town Hall leaders say they need a stronger planning authority to reject new applications for betting outlets and fruit machine arcades.
At present, existing legislation operates under an “aim to permit” framework, which encourages approval of gambling premises unless specific grounds for refusal apply.
Meanwhile, £250,000 has been allocated to support initiatives addressing gambling-related harm, including issues linked to domestic abuse, addiction, and mental health.
The funding, provided through the Greo Evidence Centre, will support a two-year programme led by the mental health charity Mind in Haringey.
The project will include a public awareness campaign aligned with this summer’s football World Cup, along with research into the impact of gambling on mental wellbeing across north London.
Despite welcoming the financial support, campaigners say additional national action is necessary. They argue that preventing gambling harm requires broader legislative reform rather than relying solely on local initiatives.
Matt Smith, who is in recovery and now works with the charity Betknowmore, described giving councils more authority as essential.
He said it was “super important” for decision-making powers to shift toward local authorities. According to Smith, the funding will help foster greater cooperation across boroughs, noting that gambling harm often crosses local boundaries.
He explained that individuals can easily move between areas and venues, making the issue wider than any single district. He also highlighted the rise of 24-hour gambling premises and adult gaming centres across north central London, while emphasising that councils currently lack the authority to block many applications.
Smith criticised the existing framework, stating that under the “aim to permit” system, planning applications are frequently approved by default, leaving councils feeling unable to intervene.
He also linked gambling-related harm to wider health inequalities and called for greater attention at a national policy level.
Councillor Dr Sara Hyde also urged government engagement to explore legislative reform aimed at reducing gambling-related harm.
Speaking as part of the London Gambling Harms Action Group, she said members are seeking the removal of the presumption in favour of approval so councils can have stronger tools to manage venue growth.
Cllr Dr Hyde said: “When we come together as the London Gambling Harms Action Group, we’re all very keen to see the end of a presumption to permit, essentially, so that we have more levers as local councils.
“To the government, we say: meet with us, listen to us, and aim to permit. There are a lot of councils saying the same thing. And listen to the voice of our residents.”
She added: “My residents in Caledonian ward say to me, ‘we don’t want that 24-hour gaming centre’, I want to be able to say, right, the local authority has got the levers to prevent that.”
Several councillors and political figures, including Dawn Butler, have continued to lobby for changes to the current framework in order to limit the spread of adult gaming centres, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
In response to a parliamentary question in November 2025, the government stated that it had “No plans to review the 2005 Act’s ‘aim to permit’ provision. However, it does intend to introduce cumulative impact assessments when parliamentary time allows.”