The campaign marshalled by Dawn Butler MP and supported by the APPG on Gambling Harm has been caught by a red light. Following her letter to the Gambling Minister seeking more restrictive regulation and a reversal of the Aim to Permit rule, Baroness Twycross has responded that more powers will be afforded to local councils, but a review of Aim to Permit is not on the agenda. Butler and co are not happy and will more likely jump the lights; the Brent East MP re-affirmed that “the fight isn’t over”. For the moment, though, Aim to Permit – the very provision established to protect applications from people like Dawn Butler – is holding firm.
Opening a House of Commons debate back in January, Dawn Butler MP urged: “I beg to move, that this House believes that the aim to permit principle in planning policy erodes the ability of local communities to shape their neighbourhoods; further believes that planning decisions should be made in the public interest, not skewed towards automatic approval; and therefore calls on the Government to remove the aim to permit provision so local councils can regulate the spread of gambling premises.”
It was her 15 minute anti-gambling speech that provided the tenor of recent correspondence between Butler and the Government in which the issue of council powers to block gambling operations on the high street and the removal of Aim to Permit were presented.
To the Government’s credit, and very much to the Baroness Tywcross playbook, the response was more powers, but not enough to take protections away from the land based industry.A nod there, possibly, to the industry that she understood the worrying fall in the total number of gaming and gambling venues on the high street.
In her letter, which was posted on Instagram by one MP, Twycross wrote: “We want to empower local authorities to curate healthy, vibrant public spaces that reflect the needs of their communities. As set out in the Pride in Place Strategy, published on 25 September, we have reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthen councils’ tools to influence the location and density of gambling outlets.”
That was the sound of sympathetic support for the Butler lobby; but Twycross sticks very closely to the view that she governs for those on all sides of the debate. And aim to permit is not on the table. She confirmed: “While there are no plans to review the provision of ‘Aim to Permit’, we will introduce Cumulative Impact Assessments (CIAs) in gambling licensing when parliamentary time allows.”
Without heaping disdain on the Butler cause, the industry has always argued that councils have sufficient powers already to determine the shape of high street retail offerings. But the government has conceded to shore this up. “The introduction of CIAs alongside the broad range of powers already available to local authorities will enable data-driven decisions on premises licences, particularly in areas identified as vulnerable to gambling-related harms. This will empower local authorities to better shape their streets and neighbourhoods, and to ensure a healthy mix of premises in their town and city centres.”
This will clearly present more obstacles for licence applications, but Twycross stood her ground on balance, stating “the Govemment is also committed to strengthening protections to ensure that people can continue to enjoy gambling, without the risks that can ensue from harmful gambling.”
One senior trade body figure described the Minister’s response as “reassuring” and added that the industry has been working hard to allay the fears of Dawn Butler, particularly with “huge advances” in technological innovation in areas such as age verification. At the same time, dialogue continues between the industry and the APPG on Gambling Harm, most recently with the GBG calling on Sir Iain Duncan Smith to join the industry campaign to ensure that the Levy funds make their way to the third sector charities immediately.
Dawn Butler, however, remains determined to drive her prohibitionist project forward. In response to Twycross’ letter, she posted on social media: “Last summer I launched my campaign against outdated “aim-to-permit” gambling laws. On Hampstead High Street? Not a single betting shop. In lower-income areas? Flooded. Councils are forced to say yes. That’s not fair and it’s damaging our high streets. The fight isn’t over.”
Clearly not.
Aim to Permit remains in place
Baroness Twycross said… “While there are no plans to review the provision of Aim to Permit, we will introduce Cumulative Impact Assessments (CIAs) in gambling licensing when parliamentary time allows…
Originally published on Coinslot on March 9, 2026. Republished with permission.