Council leader speaks out on rising number of slot machine shops as he is 'crying out for more power to create regeneration'

Speaking at the weekend on the BBC’s Politics East programme, the Reform UK councillor said: “We’ve seen them popping up all over the high streets. We have limited powers under the planning law to restrict these [gambling centres] coming in.

“There’s got to be some measures, we can’t keep funding organisations to support people [with gambling addictions] when we don’t tackle the root cause head on.”

This comes after a 24-hour casino was recently approved in Daventry town centre, despite concerns being raised by residents that it would degrade the high street and potentially lead to difficulties with relationship breakdowns and increased anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Kamala Guliyeva, who represents the Daventry South ward, said it was difficult to explain to local residents how planning law works, and how WNC is “limited in what powers we have to prevent these establishments opening”.

“Our council is actively working to drive inward investment and improve our struggling high streets with quality and bespoke shops that meet the modern retail needs of residents,” she added.

In Northampton alone, there are six 24-hour casinos, adult gaming centres and slot shops spread across the town centre.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Councillor Arnull added: “If a recommendation comes from a council planning officer and it meets all the National Planning Policy Framework, core strategy, and the local plan then we would get very little room to reject gambling centre planning applications] at the moment.

“Councils are crying out for more power to create regeneration and improve the quality of our high street offer.

“We hear all too often from residents in the community around families struggling with gambling and addiction. It questions the logic that as a council we assist voluntary organisations and charities that provide support in this area, but have relatively few powers to prevent the cause.”

Councils also have a legal duty to ‘aim to permit’ the use of premises for gambling where the minimum planning and licensing standards are met, regardless of local community opposition.

The charity GambleAware has warned that the demand for support for gambling harm in Great Britain has almost doubled since 2020, based on a survey conducted by YouGov. The data also shows an increase in the proportion of adults who are experiencing ‘problem gambling’, up from 2.4 percent in 2020 to 3.8 percent in 2024.

Chief Executive Zoë Osmond said the charity was “increasingly alarmed by how gambling is being normalised” and how frequently people are exposed to it.

However, the president of Bacta, a leading trade association representing the low-stake gambling entertainment industry, Joseph Cullis, said that adult gaming centres are “among the safest places to gamble, with experienced staff on hand to identify problems and provide support”.

Mr Cullis continued: “Games in these venues are low-stake – costing as little as 10p a spin – and these businesses have been a longstanding part of the high street for decades, providing low-stake entertainment, local jobs and a boost to local economies.

“Our members operate within one of the most tightly regulated licensing regimes in the world. Councils should focus on using the strong powers they already have, rather than creating new hurdles that go beyond what Parliament intended.”

He added that ‘aim to permit’ for gambling centres does not mean automatic approval and that all applications must are already be heard in an transparent and consultative way.

The Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised the government will look at what changes could be made to licensing rules for councils, over the location and numbers of gambling outlets to help “create safe, thriving high streets”.

These additional tools could include cumulative impact assessments, like those already in place for alcohol licensing.