SBC News’ Senior Journalist, Viktor Kayed, takes a look at the seemingly never-ending discussion around betting shops on the British high-street – and what is being said not being said.

On-the–loose politicians are again raising their heads to bark at British betting, three months after Chancellor Rachel Reeves made it clear where she stands.

Speaking to the House of Lords, MP for Peckham and Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities, Miatta Fahnbulleh, painted her vision of a welcoming high street, which – among other things – includes addressing “the proliferation of betting shops”. 

This is of course part of the official UK government 2026 strategy to support High Street development with a minimum package of £150m.

Fahnbulleh talked about a reimagining of “vibrant centres where people come together”, a future different from the current abundance of boarded-up shops and dwindling footfall.

So far so good, but the Minister conveniently forgot to mention the comprehensive reports which show that the majority of betting shop customers, 89% to be exact according to ESA Retail, combine their bookies visit with trips to other local businesses, making betting shops an important artery of the high street.

Moreover, perhaps it’s useful to point out as a reminder – sports betting is a cultivator for social activity, being an extension to the long-known fact that sports bring people together.

All of the above shouldn’t be taken lightly. Removing betting shops from the high street, and they have been there for decades, will have little sway on how people choose to spend their money. Online betting has been a thing for a long time after all, which Fahnbulleh may or may not know.

What is certain though is that such a drastic change will transform the high street forever in a very unpredictable way, with the reset button hard to find afterwards.

One more thing that stood out in Fahnbulleh’s speech was the need to “celebrate the essential role of British pubs” in high street life. 

It is interesting how drinking alcohol is considered celebratory as opposed to placing a bet, when both can be enjoyed in moderation. And simultaneously, both can be very harmful if abused. The MP has clearly chosen sides in this argument.

A far more balanced approach to the topic was taken by Housing and Communities Secretary Steve Reed, who did not outright rule out a two-sided conversation during his interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, and chose not to light-handedly scrape the added value of betting shops.

While rightly asking how much high street betting shops are too much, he added that the power to decide this should essentially be in the hands of local councils – shining light on a much debated topic in 2025.

“In my own patch, there were two betting shops in a small parade and a third one was going to open. People were up in arms about it, they didn’t want a third one, they didn’t need a third one. If you wanted to place a bet, there were places to do that,” Reed commented.

“For high streets to work you need a variety of shops. The powers we are giving councils, there were very often boarded up shops that were a blight on the highstreet, they get covered in dumped rubbish and graffiti and make the area look terrible and make people not want to go there. We are giving councils the power to take over those units and do something valuable for the community.”