TLDR
- UK gambling minister Vicky Foxcroft says a consultation on removing the “aim to permit” licensing rule will start “very shortly.”
- The review could replace gambling impact assessments that only became law at the end of April.
- Foxcroft has not given a firm timetable for the consultation.
- BACTA President Joseph Cullis said the industry welcomed the assessments as a middle ground.
- A separate consultation on a gambling sponsorship ban closed on 9 September, and its results have not been shared.
The UK government plans to consult on removing the “aim to permit” licensing objective for gambling premises. Gambling minister Vicky Foxcroft said the consultation will be “starting very shortly,” according to Yogonet.
Foxcroft did not give a firm date for the launch. She took over the gambling brief in early August 2026.
The “aim to permit” rule guides how local authorities handle gambling licence applications. Under the rule, councils are expected to aim to allow gambling premises when deciding on licences.
What the Review Could Change
The planned review could replace gambling impact assessments. These assessments only became law at the end of April.
They were introduced under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act. The law gave councils new tools to manage gambling premises in their areas.
One of those tools is the power to reject licences in places with a high number of gambling premises. If ministers move to scrap the “aim to permit” rule, this power could be affected.
The change could reopen the licensing rulebook for both gambling operators and local authorities.
Industry and Political Views
BACTA President Joseph Cullis said the assessments offered a middle ground. He described them as a path between keeping the current system and removing the licensing objective entirely.
“We weren’t against that. We welcomed that,” Cullis said. BACTA is the trade body for the UK amusement and gaming machine industry.
Not everyone backed the assessments. Dawn Butler MP argued that they were too weak.
The government is also handling other gambling reviews. A separate consultation on a sponsorship ban closed on 9 September.
The results of that sponsorship consultation have not been made public. No date has been given for when they will be released.
The next step to watch is the launch date of the new consultation. Another key detail will be whether it proposes keeping or replacing gambling impact assessments.
For now, Foxcroft has only said the process will begin very shortly. No official timetable has been set.
