Prime Minister’s Shocking ‘Dodgy Businesses’ Post Confirms Anti-Gambling Stance

It has long been suspected that the new UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, is not a fan of the gambling industry.

And a post made on X yesterday (Tuesday) confirms as much, with the PM lumping high street betting shops and Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) alongside vape shops in a category that he described as ‘dodgy businesses’.

To make matters worse for the industry, Burnham has also revealed his plans to change the legal landscape – scrapping the current ‘Aim to Permit’ legislation, which will result in fewer betting shops on the UK’s high streets.

Tougher Powers

Some of the language used in the Prime Minister’s social media post was surprising, given that he was conflating a licensed, regulated industry with his ‘dodgy businesses’ description.

“Vape shops. Betting shops. Dodgy businesses,” Burnham wrote. “If you look at your high street these days and think ‘who asked for this?’, you’re not alone.

“I’m doing something about it. We’re giving local people and councils more control over what opens, and tougher powers to crack down on businesses that aren’t good for our communities.

“For too long, Westminster has stood by while our high streets declined. That ends now.”

In his reference to ‘more control’, Burnham is hinting at the removal of the Aim to Permit law that was kept in place by his predecessor at 10 Downing Street, Keir Starmer. That pretty much guaranteed that an application for a betting shop would be approved as long as the applicant met the Gambling Commission licensing criteria.

By removing Aim to Permit, local councils would instead have full power to approve or reject plans for betting shops in their towns and cities.

For Adult Gaming Centres, the process is set to become even more complicated. Proprietors will now have to apply for strict planning permission to open up a new AGC, which could still be rejected by local councillors.

Burnham was part of a group of more than 300 MPs and campaigners that had previously called upon Starmer to scrap Aim to Permit earlier this year. He said:

“For many people, the high streets they grew up with have been hollowed out and become unrecognisable over decades of decline. The rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services and community spaces that people are crying out for.”

In Decline

The words of the Prime Minister are undeniably strong… and they’ve provoked an equally strong reaction from gambling business leaders, who argue that far from dominating UK high streets, betting shops are in terminal decline.

More than 300 betting shops, operated by the likes of Paddy Power, William Hill and Betfred, have been closed this year, with nearly 1,000 people losing their jobs.

In the space of just six years, the number of UK betting shops on the high street has fallen from 8,423 to 5,825, so any notion that bookmakers are somehow out of control and taking over retail centres can be disproved.

What’s more likely is that it feels like there’s more betting shops, simply because they are open in areas where other forms of retail – such as fashion, electronics and hospitality – have disappeared without a trace.

According to confirmed data, more than 17,000 shops and retail outlets closed in 2025 due to lower footfall on the high street and other economic pressures, such as rising rent and bills.

It will be interesting to see which areas of retail Burnham expects to regenerate in his time as Prime Minister, as the evidence of recovery simply isn’t there.

Meanwhile, he will impose tougher conditions on some of the largest taxpayers to contribute to the Treasury. Is that a sensible strategy for growth?