After a turbulent 2025 for UK gambling, fraught with much uncertainty around the regulatory framework, the stage being set for further debate in 2026.
May’s council elections are likely to be the defining moment for UK politics in 2026, but they may well also serve to intensify the discussion around gambling regulation.
As the year arrived, we perhaps got a hint that the waves of momentum would continue to shift towards pressure on increased regulation of the industry. A report from think-tank More in Common stated that the government needs to look closer at the presence of gambling within local communities.
At the heart of the mission statement by the report, which was put together for the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA), was to “bridge the gap between policymakers and the public by helping people in Westminster understand those voters who feel ignored or overlooked by those in power”.
It’s a message that will resonate heading into local elections that could very well have a significant impact on the fate of an embattled government.
Conservative peer Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who signed the foreword, stated: “Even those who gamble support a tougher stance on the industry, supporting moves to track expenditure and ensure limits on unaffordable losses. In fact, more gamblers want the sector to shrink than to grow. These findings directly contradict the gambling industry, which repeatedly claims to represent the views of gamblers when it demands looser regulation.
“Public faith in the institutions that are supposed to protect us from the harms of gambling has been eroded. Only a third of the wider public have any trust in the Gambling Commission to properly regulate the sector.”
The industry is already preparing for major regulatory change following the budget, the timing of which was criticised as it came amidst key RET levy adjustments. This undeniably decreases the likelihood that even if pressure is poured on major changes will be made to the UK’s gambling framework.
However, one such blindspot still remains that could prove to be an issue for the upcoming pivotal local elections in May, specifically in London – the proliferation of High Street casinos and bookmakers.
‘Token gestures’ testing the patience of consumers?
Polling tied to the More in Common report shows that when people are asked what they’d prefer on their local high street:
The research detailed that even as the high street remains under monumental economic strain, 44% of those surveyed would rather have an empty shop on the high street than a gambling venue, compared to 27% who supported a gambling venue.
What will also cause some concern is the waning trust that the research states that the faith from British consumers around gambling regulatory and charitable causes continues to wane.
Angst around the proliferation of gambling venues has long lingered within councils. Just last year, a coalition of councils urged the government to strengthen the ability of local authorities to have the power to prevent the concentration of gambling and betting premises.
36 councils and two mayors, which collectively govern over 12 million people, signed a letter calling for “key reforms of the Gambling Act”. Local governments believe the Act and the review of it overlooked community-level concerns about gambling harms.
The letter, authored by Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, is addressed to DCMS Secretary Lisa Nandy:
“Communities like Brent are experiencing a surge of land-based gambling operators spreading along our high streets, seemingly targeting areas of higher deprivation to maximise profits. The alarming concentration of these premises often faces strong community opposition, as well as concerns from public health and community safety officials.
“But despite this shared opposition among residents, police, and politicians, councils have found themselves effectively powerless to intervene. The current statutory ‘Aim to Permit’ duty severely restricts a council’s ability to block the opening of additional gambling venues, even when the community is unequivocally against it.”
It’s a cause that garnered the support of significant high-profile figures such as Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Members describe current community controls on gambling as “inadequate” to prevent the proliferation of gambling premises.
The letter concluded: “The communities we serve are experiencing the detrimental impacts of the proliferation of gambling venues. To be clear, we are not calling for an outright ban on gambling in any form; rather, we are offering our collective support for much-needed reform of the legislation to suit the modern age.”
There was criticism levelled at “token gestures towards reducing and preventing rates of addiction, which fall far short of what is needed”, this included the “When the Fun Stops, Stop” campaign being cited as cynical marketing rather than genuine harm-reduction tools.
Marketing was the key target within the report, which emphasised the need for the tightening of restrictions and the diluting of gambling advertising within the UK eco system.
It’s a move that would, however, further cripple the regulated market in its efforts to compete with unlicensed operators that aren’t restricted by the confines regulatory restrictions.
Any further restrictions on gambling advertising in the regulated market would undeniably draw much trepidation, coinciding with an increasingly aggressive strategy employed by illicit operators.
Whilst the vast majority of questions remain up in the air heading into 2026, it appears even after the turmoil of 2025 UK betting and specifically the retail sector could face the firing line in the year ahead.
