UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has put betting shops and adult gaming centres (AGCs) firmly in his crosshairs as he attempts to transform the failing UK high street.
Burnham has pledged to scrap the Aim to Permit rules, which eased licensing applications for gambling venues and had drawn criticism from a slew of local councils, including Burnham himself in his previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
The Prime Minister posted on X: “Vape shops. Betting shops. Dodgy businesses. If you look at your high street these days and think ‘who asked for this?’, you’re not alone.
“I’m doing something about it. We’re giving local people and councils more control over what opens, and tougher powers to crack down on businesses that aren’t good for our communities.”
Vape shops. Betting shops. Dodgy businesses.
If you look at your high street these days and think ‘who asked for this?’, you’re not alone.
I’m doing something about it. We’re giving local people and councils more control over what opens, and tougher powers to crack down on…
— Andy Burnham (@andyburnham) August 11, 2026
Under the new rules, Aim to Permit will be scrapped throughout Great Britain. Meanwhile, AGCs will be subject to new planning permission requirements in England.
Scrutiny of the Aim to Permit laws has been led by Labour MP Dawn Butler, who has been the vocal leader of the Take Back Control of Our High Streets campaign – advocating for greater control over the placement of gambling venues by local authorities.
Though no details have been released as to what the planning permission laws will be for AGCs, supporters for change have demanded more control to reject licence applications and consider local debt in planning decisions.
Are AGCs taking over?
Burnham’s complaints over the UK high street suggest that gambling venues are dominating the retail space.
However, data from Green Street revealed that the number of betting shops fell by 30% between 2015 and 2025, with this figure set to fall further amid the high-profile announcement in recent weeks that Betfred will close over 100 shops.
Meanwhile, according to the Gambling Commission’s latest figures, there are 1,458 AGC’s in the UK.
In comparison, there are over 2,200 dedicated vape and tobacco shops in the UK, with thousands more mini-marts and newsagents also selling the product. Meanwhile, there are 18,078 barbers and 13,478 fast food shops on the high street.
Reacting to the news, the Betting and Gaming Council told SlotBeats: “Betting shop numbers have fallen by over a third since 2019. Around 3,000 shops have closed and over 15,000 jobs have already been lost.
“It is wrong to lump highly regulated, licensed betting shops together with rogue or criminal businesses. Betting shops still support 37,500 jobs, bring vital footfall to neighbouring businesses and, for many customers, are valued community hubs.
“The real threat to Britain’s hard-pressed high streets is more empty units and fewer local jobs, not businesses rooted in the communities they serve.”