Lewisham has 45 licensed gambling premises, seven on Lewisham High Street alone. New draft rules target staffing and age checks; have your say by 8 November.
Lewisham Council has published new draft rules for the borough’s betting shops, bingo halls and adult gaming centres, and wants residents’ views by midnight on Sunday 8 November (Lewisham Council consultation).
The draft Gambling Policy for 2027 to 2030 comes with the council’s first full map of where gambling happens in the borough. It counts 45 licensed gambling premises: 34 betting shops, six bingo premises and five adult gaming centres. More than half of them sit on just five streets.
Full Council is due to make the final decision on 28 January 2027.
Where the premises are
The council’s draft Local Area Profile, dated September 2026, grouped the licence records by street address (Local Area Profile).
| Street | Betting | Bingo | Adult gaming centres | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewisham High Street | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Rushey Green and Catford Broadway | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Deptford High Street | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Sydenham Road | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Evelyn Street | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Other addresses | 18 | 1 | 0 | 19 |
| All Lewisham | 34 | 6 | 5 | 45 |
The profile also picks out four residential areas where money worries are most widespread. It stresses these are priorities for checking applications, not a ranking of gambling harm:
- Bellingham: all six of its small statistical areas are in England’s most income-deprived fifth.
- Downham: nine of its 12 areas are, the most of any ward. The register includes premises on Downham Way and Bromley Road.
- Rushey Green: six of 12 areas, alongside the seven premises around Rushey Green and Catford Broadway.
- Deptford: six of its eight areas are in the most deprived fifth for children living in low-income families.
Across the borough, 51 of Lewisham’s 175 small areas fall in the most income-deprived national fifth.
What would change
The current policy runs until 2027. The council says the new draft puts more weight on protecting children and vulnerable people, and on tying decisions to local evidence (summary of changes). The main changes are:
- Think 25: venues would be expected to ask for photo ID from anyone who looks under 25.
- Staff, not leaflets: handing out leaflets “should not be the main way” an operator deals with a risk to young people. Operators would need to show active staff intervention, supervision and age checks.
- Local risk assessments: operators would have to use the Local Area Profile when assessing the risks at each premises, and show how staffing, training and layout deal with them.
- The 400-metre school rule clarified: the existing check on premises within 400 metres of a school stays, but the draft makes clear it “is not an exclusion zone or an automatic reason to refuse an application”.
The profile goes further in places, with ideas that are not yet policy. For Rushey Green and Catford Broadway, it suggests operators should normally have two customer-facing staff throughout opening hours where several risks overlap. It also flags two drug and alcohol recovery services near gambling premises: New Direction at 410 Lewisham High Street, and Insight at Winslade Way in Catford.
What the council cannot do
The council’s own FAQ is blunt about the limits (Gambling Policy FAQ). Under section 153 of the Gambling Act 2005, councils must “aim to permit” gambling premises that meet the rules. So the council:
- cannot ban new gambling premises outright
- cannot set a cap on how many there are
- cannot refuse an application because there is no demand for another, or because gambling is unpopular
“The Gambling Policy won’t stop new gambling premises opening in parts of Lewisham,” the FAQ says. The number of premises in an area can count as evidence, but it does not mean an application must be refused.
The government has said it intends to remove the “aim to permit” rule. Until the law changes, the council says it must decide applications under the law as it stands.
What it means for you
- Have your say by midnight on Sunday 8 November through the online questionnaire.
- Prefer paper? Collect a questionnaire and return envelope from Laurence House (1 Catford Road), Catford Library, the Deptford Lounge library or Downham Library. Paper copies must arrive before the deadline.
- Questions or another format: email licensing@lewisham.gov.uk or call the licensing team on 020 8314 6505.
- A problem with one particular shop? This consultation is not the route for that. The council says it will give separate contact details for complaints about individual premises.
- If gambling is affecting you or someone close to you, free confidential help is available through GamCare and the National Gambling Support Network.
Sources
- Lewisham Council: draft Gambling Policy (2027-2030) consultation (opened 5 October, closes 8 November 2026)
- Lewisham Local Area Profile: Gambling premises and local vulnerability, September 2026 (premises counts, street groups, deprivation findings, recovery services)
- Draft Gambling Policy: Summary of Changes
- Draft Gambling Policy: Frequently Asked Questions, October 2026 (legal limits, Full Council date)
- Gambling Act 2005
Have your say