Summary
Andy Burnham and Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig have publicly denounced gambling and vape shops for replacing community spaces and becoming dominant features of declining high streets. The criticism reflects growing political consensus: polling by More in Common in January 2026 found net support for stricter industry controls ranging from 46% among Reform voters to 67% among Conservative voters.
The shift in sentiment follows evidence of gambling harm. The Gambling Commission's latest survey found 2.4% of UK adults (1.25 million) suffer problem gambling, while a GambleAware paper highlighted how online advertising and marketing saturate children and young people. An all-party parliamentary group called in April 2026 for "immediate and sweeping reforms" to reduce industry marketing.
Greater Manchester's Chapter One pilot programme, run by Gambling with Lives (a charity founded by families bereaved by gambling-related suicide), demonstrated success in reducing gambling harm between 2022 and 2024. The industry, which has grown substantially since the 2005 Gambling Act, is now bracing for regulatory change, evidenced by Premier League clubs' voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship.
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Common questions
- What is this article about?
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham has publicly criticised the gambling industry as a blight on high streets, calling betting shops and vape shops "extractive" presences. The criticism signals a shift in political and public opinion, with polling showing cross-party support for tighter controls on the sector.
- When was this published?
- This article was published on 19 August 2026.
- Who published this article?
- This article was published by TheBusinessDesk.