UK Gambling Minister Vicky Foxcroft said a consultation on scrapping the "aim to permit" licensing principle will start shortly. The move could reshape operator licensing policy in the country.
No firm date was given, but the review may replace gambling impact assessments (GIAs), which took effect in April under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act. GIAs give local authorities broader grounds to refuse licences where approval conflicts with other regulatory aims — for example, in areas with a high concentration of gambling venues.
MP Dawn Butler called the assessments insufficient and pushed for reform of the "aim to permit" principle itself. British Amusement Catering Trades Association president Joseph Cullis took the opposite view, describing GIAs as a middle ground between preserving the current system and abolishing the principle entirely.
Foxcroft also addressed bingo regulation. The government plans to update licensing requirements to verify that halls are actually running bingo rather than operating as de facto adult gaming centres. MP Alex Ballinger raised concerns that some bingo venues increasingly resemble adult gaming centres.
Separately, the minister commented on advertising. Coalition to End Gambling Advertising director Will Prochaska cited a House of Lords committee recommendation for a full ban on gambling ads and said data scarcity is an industry construct. He argued that Britain has more evidence linking product types to gambling harm than any other jurisdiction, yet regulation remains weak.
The consultation on banning unlicensed operator sponsorship of British sports clubs closed September 9. Results have not been disclosed.
