Brent East MP Dawn Butler told the House of Commons that she is “sick and tired” of the number of gambling establishments “popping up” in the borough.
There are now more licensed premises in Brent – 81 – than supermarkets and schools combined. Ms Butler called the Gambling Act “not fit for the modern age”, pointing to the ‘aim to permit’ clause that means councils have limited power to refuse applications.
Ms Butler said: “Every time a shop closes, a gambling establishment tries to put up a betting shop there.
“I’ve had so many arguments with Brent Council that they’ve now led an amazing campaign and they’ve been joined by 40 other councils around the country calling on the government to reform the Gambling Act so that we can protect our high streets.
“The fixed odds betting terminals are more addictive than heroin and for everybody that’s addicted to gambling at least seven other people are also affected.”
Alongside reforming the ‘aim to permit’ policy, Brent Council’s six-point plan involves categorising gambling premises, considering household debt in planning applications, introducing a statutory levy on gambling companies, banning gambling advertising and halting the liberalisation of gambling centres.
Ms Butler wants this to “reset the relationship between central and local government” to ensure local authorities have the power to say no to more gambling sites on the high streets.
She has also written a formal objection to Brent Council’s licensing committee ahead of an application to turn the former branch of Santander in Neasden Lane into a bingo hall – which will be decided on April 22.
An application to turn the former Santander bank in Neasden into a bingo hall will be decided on next week. Image Credit: Google Maps
In a written submission, Ms Butler states the area is “disproportionately impacted” by such premises and that the current legislation “has been a serious failure for communities”.
She also claims to have written to 7,000 households in the borough to ask for their experiences of gambling and betting shops, calling the responses “stark”.
According to Ms Butler, 97.5 per cent of respondents were opposed to betting shops; 80 per cent questioned why more were being granted permission; 75 per cent called for the number to be limited; and 62.5 per cent detailed experiences of antisocial behaviour in the vicinity of the premises.
She added: “I have heard from families who’ve faced financial ruin because of gambling and from so many people for whom their daily lives are blighted by the associated antisocial behaviour, in particular street drinking and drugs, which circulate in close proximity to these gambling establishments.”
In its manifesto ahead of last year’s General Election, the Labour Party committed to reducing gambling-related harm by reforming regulation and strengthening protections. In November, 2024, the Labour government announced plans to introduce a statutory levy on gambling companies, as well as introducing new stake limits for online slots. The government described these changes as “the first steps” towards strengthening legislation.
In March 2025, the government confirmed the dates for when the new stake limits would come into effect. The new £5 limit for all adults came into effect earlier last week (April 9), whilst the £2 limit for adults aged between 18 and 24 is set to come into force on May 21.
