UK Gambling Minister Vicky Foxcroft Takes Careful ‘Aim to Permit’ Line

The UK’s Gambling Minister, Vicky Foxcroft, has pledged that a consultation on revoking the ‘Aim to Permit’ rules will “start very shortly”.

The current ‘Aim to Permit’ policy limits the ability of councils to prohibit new betting shops and other gambling premises from opening, but the government is considering shaking things up.

Foxcroft, who only took on her new brief with the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) at the start of last month, spoke earlier this week on a panel at a fringe Labour Party Conference event in Liverpool. But her first public appearance was rather cautious by all accounts, especially on the ‘Aim to Permit’ matter.

More questions raised than answers

Foxcroft joined the panel organised by the Coalition to End Gambling Advertising (CEGA) and think tank More in Common; however, she held back on ‘Aim to Permit’. There were no concrete details shared about the government’s plans, nor was a timeframe given for when the consultation would take place.

That said, Foxcroft suggested that the government hopes to achieve real progress on the matter in 2027. The panel moderator, James Noyes, a former government advisor on affordability checks, asked the attendees to reserve judgment over ‘Aim to Permit’ until a year from now.

Items on the agenda

Enshrined in the Gambling Act 2005, the ‘Aim to Permit’ policy was perceived to be a game-changer. However, there have been some reservations held by critics that simply removing ‘Aim to Permit’ may not be so straightforward, and it could pave the wave for a new Gambling Act, which in turn, could open up a can of worms.

The ‘Aim to Permit’ rule is one of the first items on Foxcroft’s agenda, and while she was thin on revealing policy details, it’s not the only matter she has to get to grips with. During the panel, Foxcroft outlined that plans are shaping up with regard to updating bingo licensing requirements with the goal of ensuring “bingo takes place”.

Meanwhile, Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) have become a bone of contention which falls into Foxcroft’s remit. The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, is seeking to curb the influence of retail bettors, and wishes to impose greater taxes on AGCs to fuel business tax cuts for the hospitality industry, namely live music venues and pubs.

On top of that, the DCMS only wrapped up earlier this month a consultation on banning Premier League clubs and sports teams, more widely speaking, from clinching deals with black market operators. In respect to this, it is thought this policy option would go some way to reducing gambling harms.

Pushback faced

Although Labour colleague Dawn Butler praised Foxcroft’s appearance on the panel as being positive and for being in full “listening mode”, there was some pushback, and that was expressed by Will Prochaska in relation to a blanket gambling ad ban in the UK.

He said:

“I think what you’ll come to find, Minister, is that the idea that there’s not enough evidence is an industry construct. Britain has more evidence about the causation of gambling harms and the links to product types than any other jurisdiction globally and yet has some of the weakest regulation.”

As far as Foxcroft is concerned, she will need to get used to coming under constant pressure from every direction. That said, the upcoming ‘Aim to Permit’ consultation could set the tone for government reforms, and Foxcroft will be judged on the way she handles this delicate issue.