Legislation that would give English local authorities greater influence over gambling licensing decisions has advanced in the UK’s House of Lords, signalling a potential shift in the regulatory balance for land-based operators.
The English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill has passed its third reading and will now move to final consideration, including review by the House of Commons before potential Royal Assent.
Central to the changes is Amendment 305, which proposes the introduction of Gambling Impact Assessments into the Gambling Act 2005. This measure would allow councils to identify areas where the cumulative impact of gambling premises or evidence of local harm justifies stricter scrutiny of licence applications.
The proposal marks a notable evolution of the Act’s long standing ‘Aim to Permit’ principle, under which applications are generally approved unless authorities can demonstrate clear grounds for refusal. Under the new framework, operators seeking licences in designated areas would be required to demonstrate how their proposals align with licensing objectives before approval is granted.
This effectively shifts the evidential burden from regulators to applicants in locations identified as higher risk.
The amendment stops short of granting councils the power to impose outright bans on gambling venues. Decisions would remain subject to appeal, with operators able to challenge refusals where compliance with licensing objectives can be demonstrated.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (pictured above), Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government, backed the amendment during its passage through the Lords, reflecting broader government support for enhanced local control.
Local authorities have long argued for additional tools to manage what they describe as clustering of gambling venues in certain communities. The proposed changes respond to those concerns while maintaining the overarching structure of the existing licensing regime.
The Bill now returns to the House of Commons, where Amendment 305 could still be revised or removed.
For operators, the measure introduces greater uncertainty at a local level, reinforcing a regulatory direction that places increased emphasis on community impact and evidential justification in licensing decisions.
