Councils across the UK come together to write letter urging gambling reform

A letter calling for an urgent reform of gambling laws has been sent by councils and mayors across the UK to the government.

ITV News is reporting that they’ve seen the letter which involves 36 councils and two mayors. This combination includes a representation of more than 12 million people.

A number of high-profile names within the country support the letter including the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.

We are asking the Government to consider six key reforms to the Gambling Act (2005). Read the full story: https://t.co/iEG5ce08yR https://t.co/vSGNqUzh82

— Brent Council (@Brent_Council) April 2, 2025

Led by Brent Council, which is a borough within London, the letter argues that the current gambling laws within the UK are “desperately out of date.”

It continues by sharing that current laws prevent councils from being able to intervene, with concerns also arising over the number of slot machines and betting shops opening on high streets.

The letter reads: “Communities like Brent are experiencing a groundswell of land-based gambling operators, spreading along our high streets and seemingly targeting areas of higher deprivation in a bid to maximise profits.

“The alarming concentration of these premises is often met with strong community opposition, and concerns from public health and community safety officials.

“But, despite this shared opposition among residents, police and politicians, councils have found themselves effectively powerless to intervene.”

Speaking directly in a conversation with the news publisher, the deputy leader of the council Mili Patel said: “We’re not against gambling or gambling establishments. We’ve just had a load of concentration of them, that is the problem.”

She commented on the location of betting shops, suggesting that they were being set up in areas of higher levels of deprivation.

“At the moment Harlesden’s average income is under £24,000 a year, which is well below the London average… so it’s strategically targeting vulnerable people,” she said.

According to the latest data, the number of gambling machines in the country has risen since the pandemic from roughly 171,000 to 202,000.

In response to the original news story, the Gambling Commission said that all gambling businesses are required to act if they observe signs of gambling harm.

They’re also reported to have stated that the government plans to introduce new powers which could enable local licensing authorities to conduct cumulative impact assessments.

Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram

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