London Council To Tighten Gambling Premises Licensing Rules
A London council is preparing to tighten how it licenses gambling premises after a public consultation revealed "a significant level of concern" about the number of betting shops in the borough.
Barking and Dagenham Council's Licensing and Regulatory Committee will consider a revised Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy 2026-2029 at a meeting on September 3, 2026, following consultation that ran from July 13 to August 24.
What The Policy Would Change
The revised policy will shift the council's approach from one based mainly on licensing toward one focused on "preventing harm and improving public health," with extra weight given to protecting "areas experiencing high deprivation."
Under the draft, operators applying for new gambling premises licences would need to show how they would mitigate local risks, particularly in the most deprived parts of the borough.
Council figures reported by local outlet MyLondon put the current total at 42 betting shops, adult gaming centres and bingo halls in the borough, with eleven clustered around Barking town centre, described in the draft policy as having "high levels of poverty" and the highest crime rate in the borough, and five more around Heathway in Dagenham, labelled one of the area's "most impoverished areas."
Residents Push Back, Industry Pushes Too
Fourteen residents responded to the council's online consultation, which the council said reflected genuine concern about the number of betting shops.
One resident quoted by MyLondon said: "Barking is one of the poorest boroughs in London... yet everywhere you go in Barking, you see gambling stores.
You can't go 100 metres without coming across a gambling shop." Other respondents called for the council to stop issuing new licences or close existing shops.
The Betting and Gaming Council, represented by law firm Gosschalks, submitted a response arguing that betting shops "support 42,000 jobs on the UK's hard-pressed high streets, contributing £800million a year in tax to the Treasury and another £60million in business rates to local councils," and that the "overwhelming majority" of gamblers do so safely.
Part Of Wider National Shift
The council's move comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham has proposed scrapping the "aim to permit" rule that currently limits how far local authorities can go in refusing gambling premises licences.
Under that rule, still in force, Barking and Dagenham can only refuse a licence if granting it would undermine the Gambling Act 2005's core objectives: preventing crime and disorder, ensuring fair and open gambling, and protecting children and vulnerable people from harm.
If the Licensing and Regulatory Committee backs the revised policy on September 3, it would go to Cabinet and then the full Assembly for formal adoption.
The outcome will be an early test of how far a London council can tighten gambling licensing before national rules change.
Anyone concerned about their own gambling, in Barking and Dagenham or elsewhere, can find self-exclusion and support tools through the UK Gambling Commission before visiting a betting shop or any online betting sites.
