When new Prime Minister Andy Burnham took over, questions swirled on what the former mayor of Manchester’s approach would be to an already embattled gambling sector. Yesterday, we got our first look.

The Labour Party yesterday announced plans to revitalise UK high streets, which the PM says have become “unrecognisable” and “hollowed out” by years of decline. Much of this decline was blamed on two things, vape shops, and surprisingly, gambling premises.

To achieve this reform, Burnham plans to give local councils more power in controlling what type of businesses open on their high streets. 

One way he aims to give achieve this is by scrapping the “aim to permit” rule, which was introduced in the 2005 Gambling Act and restricts a councils’ ability to refuse new betting and 24-hour slot machine shops.

New Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) would also require planning permission.

But, Burnham’s decision to group gambling and vape shops under the same “dodgy shop” label has angered many in the industry, not just for the criminal associations often attached to vape shops, but because the Labour Party’s assertion that these types of businesses are taking over the high street, isn’t actually supported by data.

A report published by the Gambling Commission last year, showed how the number of high street gambling premises – including betting shops, AGCs and casinos – have all been in steady decline since 2015. 

Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive Officer at the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), took to LinkedIn to reaffirm this, saying: 

“The suggestion that betting shops are spreading unchecked simply does not stand up to scrutiny.”

Betfred announced in July that it was closing 132 high street shops, citing increased economic pressure, rising taxes and soaring bills. 

evoke-owned William Hill made similar headlines back in March, with the planned closure of over 200 premises.

So while Burnham’s plan might make for a popular soundbite, the actual reality is that betting and gambling shops on UK high streets have been in decline for a while now – and Burnham’s plan to scrap the “aim to permit” rule is going to do little to change that.