Residents have told researchers that gambling venues open too frequently, there are too many of them, and they are not benefitting the community
Grant Williams Local democracy reporter
05:10, 31 Oct 2025
The Social Market Foundation has published its report on the potential harms associated with the rise of Adult Gaming Centres (Image: Getty Images)
Brent residents have told researchers that gambling venues open too frequently, there are too many of them, and they are not benefitting the community. It comes as a A North London MP has described the findings of a recent study into the rise of adult gaming centres (AGCs) as “deeply concerning”, with analysis suggesting a third of sites are concentrated in the poorest 10 per cent of neighbourhoods.
The Social Market Foundation (SMF) – an independent cross-party public policy think-tank based in Westminster – has today (October 30) published a report into the proliferation of AGCs across the country and put forward recommendations for reform. The report was sponsored by Brent Council, which has been campaigning for changes to the industry, and used the borough as a case study.
Brent is among the most economically-deprived boroughs in London, whilst also having one of the highest numbers of gambling premises – clustered in some of the most disadvantaged communities of Harlesden, Wembley and Kensal Green. Rates of gambling-related harm in the borough exceed the national average and the estimated cost of that harm has risen sevenfold since 2012, according to a council assessment.
Brent residents interviewed by the SMF expressed views including gambling venues open too frequently, there are too many of them, and they are not benefitting the community, according to the report. A health worker noted that the borough has “pretty high need”, with regards to gambling addictions, whilst a drug and alcohol support worker noted that gambling establishments “are everywhere”.
One of the authors of the report, Senior Fellow at the SMF, Dr James Noyes, said the research found that ACGs “risk encouraging gambling amongst children and young people”, as well as “potentially encouraging crime”. Despite many local communities objecting to new premises opening, Dr Noyes suggests local authorities are “essentially powerless” to stop it.
Alongside analysis of key legislation and white papers relating to AGCs, the study also includes interviews conducted with practitioners working in frontline support organisations in Brent, members of the public, and retail employees, as well as random site visits to some of the boroughs AGCs and carried out surveys with 348 Brent residents and business owners.
Key findings of the report include a recent analysis from the Gambling Commission which concluded that the number of AGCs nationally had increased by 7 per cent between 2022 and 2024 – with many opening in areas “already facing significant social and economic challenges”. It also highlights that 33 per cent of AGCs are in the top 10 per cent poorest neighbourhoods.
Several of the high street interviewees saw the expansion of gambling venues as representing a broader decline, according to the report, with one participant describing it as a “slippery slope”. In earlier research by non-profit group More in Common, another noted: “It’s definitely not just in Brent, it seems to be all over London. I’d be surprised if that doesn’t mean it’s all over the country.”
This report examines whether the right regulatory balance is being struck in the AGC sector and whether communities and local authorities should have more power to limit new sites. One of the main obstacles to this is the ‘aim to permit’ rule, which is enshrined in law and means councils are limited in their ability to refuse new licence applications. The report found that this rule “runs counter to the Government’s wider objective to prevent gambling harm”.
Both Brent Council and Ms Butler MP have been campaigning to change some of the planning rules to “tackle the rapid spread of gambling establishments”, with the specific goal of abolishing the current ‘aim to permit’ rule.
In the foreword to the report, Ms Butler MP said: “The evidence presented here is deeply concerning. AGCs are clustered in areas facing the greatest deprivation, and their numbers are growing. Their spread is linked to a range of potential harms: from crime and anti-social behaviour to the exploitation of vulnerable people and children. Yet the current licensing framework, underpinned by the outdated ‘aim to permit’ rule, leaves local authorities with little ability to respond. This is not simply a technical flaw in regulation; it is a matter of fairness, accountability and democracy.
“More widely, there is a clear paradox in having a Government that seeks to prevent gambling harm, all while aiming to permit a business model which creates that harm in the first place. Scrapping the Aim to Permit rule, among other measures, would ensure local communities are empowered to make a choice on the role that gambling plays in the make-up of their High Streets, and protect some of the most vulnerable in society from exploitation and harm.”
The findings also suggest that AGCs are often in direct contradiction with licensing objectives set out in the 2005 Gambling Act, posing risks of crime, anti-social behaviour and harm to vulnerable people, including those struggling with addiction.
Dr Noyes, said: “If the Government is serious about restoring pride to local communities, the role of the High Street is crucial – and that’s why it’s so concerning to see the proliferation of Adult Gaming Centres in some of Britain’s most deprived neighbourhoods.
“Our research has found that AGCs risk encouraging gambling amongst children and young people, as well as potentially encouraging crime, while acting against consumer interests – and yet, even if local communities object to them, local authorities are essentially powerless to prevent them opening.”
In order for local communities to have influence over what appears on their high streets, the SMF has made the following six recommendations:
Greater licensing powers should be granted to local authorities, including cumulative impact assessments, with no further delay.Public health directors should be included in the gambling licensing process, as they are for alcohol.The current premises licence classifications should be reviewed, particularly in relation to AGCs operating under bingo licenses.The cap on annual licence fees payable by premises to local authorities should be increased from £1,000 to at least £2,000, and the amount of the fee reviewed year-on-year.The balance of responsibilities between local authorities and the gambling commission on enforcement and inspection of regulations should be clarified.The ‘aim to permit’ rule should be reviewed, and ultimately removed entirely from legislation, strengthening local authorities’ ability to manage gambling-related harm.
Deputy Leader of Brent Council, Cllr Mili Patel, said: “Along with a further 44 local authorities – and grounded in the lived experience of our own residents here in North-west London – we have called for a set of urgent reforms to put pride back into our ailing high streets, restore local democracy, and put communities, not corporations, back in control of their destiny.”
Bacta – the trade association and strategic body representing the amusements and low-stake gambling industry, including AGCs – were approached to comment on the report but did not respond ahead of publication.
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