Brent Council has taken its prohibition stance to near hysterical levels, raising the tone of anti-gambling rhetoric to a war footing. And that includes targeting legitimate and regulated businesses on the high street. Is this the face of devolution the new government is advocating?
Brent Council has vowed to use “every lawful tool available” to create a “hostile environment” for gambling businesses in its jurisdiction.
Without presenting any statistics, research, or surveys to support its case, the council this week has declared a “gambling emergency”, committing to a new Gambling Harms Strategy and calling for greater powers to block new betting shops and adult gaming centres.
The local authority has called for an end to ‘aim to permit’, a policy put in place to ensure that the Gambling Commission – one of the best funded regulators in the world – is the sole regulator of the industry.
While the Commission’s latest Gambling Survey of Great Britain has been highly criticised and is wildly flawed, it is at least an attempt to create evidence-based policies – albeit inaccurate and biased. Brent Council, however, has instead spent its resources on riling up local support on social media, driving emotional hostility in spite of evidence to the contrary.
As such, there remains no evidence that an increased number of options to gamble will increase participation levels in the area. If so, the increase in the number of National Lottery scratchcard offerings and a new Powerball game should not be allowed to be sold in thousands of convenience stores and supermarkets on every UK high street.
In fact, industry analysts have long argued that restricting licensed venues may simply encourage consumers to migrate online. At best, this will be to sites that lack the social responsibility benefits that only brick and mortar operators provide. At worst, it exposes consumers to Britain’s growing black market.
It is in these dark corners of the internet where the greatest risk to Brent residents lurks, and this is where the hostility of the local authority should be aimed. Instead of creating a “hostile environment” for a legal, highly regulated industry that provides jobs and pays taxes, Brent Council should turn its focus to unlicensed operators – or, indeed, to any form of illegality, as the crime rate in Brent continues to hover significantly above the London average.
Now, can I have 10 scratchards and a pint of milk please. Hurry, because I want to go next door for 10 more scratchcards and a Guardian newspaper.
Originally published on Coinslot on July 27, 2026. Republished with permission.