Bianca Jagger gathered among protesters demonstrating against plans for a 24/7 casino on Earls Court Road, as a London MP warned Britain’s streets were being blighted by gambling.
Ms Jagger joined protesters outside the Earls Court tube station on Monday night amid a campaign to prevent an application by Silvertime Amusements. Silvertime already runs an existing venue on the road, but hopes to move to a larger site on the same street.
Ms Jagger, a human rights advocate who was married to Rolling Stones rock icon Mick Jagger from 1971 to 1978, said she has concerns for “the well-being of children in the area”.
She said that “30% of children between the ages of 11 and 17 are already engaged in online gaming. We have a serious issue throughout the country of these gaming companies targeting the vulnerable and we need to do everything to stop this being approved.
She added: “I appeal to the council to stand up to these gaming companies and say no to gaming and taking advantage of the most vulnerable sections of society."
Ms Jagger appeared to be citing data from the Gambling Commission, which says “30% of 11 to 17 year-olds [have] spent their own money on gambling in the previous 12 months”.
Silvertime already runs a 24/7 venue at 169 Earl’s Court Road, but has applied for a licence at a larger site at 177-179 on the same street. The proposed application would see machines located solely on the ground floor, which Silvertime says has a floor area of approximately 115.55 square metres.
Linda Wade, Liberal Democrat councillor for the Kensington and Chelsea ward, told The Standard there were concerns over the location, despite the relatively short distance Silvertime plans to move from.
Silvertime 24/7 Adult Gaming Centre Licence
— Linda A Wade🔶 (@LindaAWade) March 24, 2026
Last day to submit objections to licensing@rbkc.gov.uk
Reasons to object:
• Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder
• Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling pic.twitter.com/jyWnLcX8Li
Talking to The Standard today, Ms Wade estimated that the current Silvertime is in quite a “discreet” location, but the frontage of their new premises, she estimates, would be around 10 times the size. This would lead to a significant “visual impact”, she said.
And she explained that residents are worried about safety, due to the potential problems caused by people near a site open 24 hours, and the street in general.
Currently, the proposal is recommended for refusal ahead of a council planning applications committee meeting on Thursday.
Further concerns for opponents of the plans, Councillor Wade said, were around planning refusals being turned down on appeal.
“If you have spent that amount of money… You’re going to go to appeal,” she said.
It is “not obvious” that such an appeal would be turned down, Ms Wade said.
Kensington and Chelsea MP Joe Powell said he is “delighted” the Government is backing an amendment to introduce cumulative impact assessments for gambling premises to “prevent rows of slot machine casinos crowding out other businesses, and causing huge community harm”.
It is part of the Government’s ‘English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill’, and would see the 2005 Gambling Act amended to enable the use of cumulative impact assessments to argue against the granting of gambling licences.
It is hard for councils to reject planning applications, Mr Powell said, adding that cumulative impact assessments would be “another tool” for local authorities to make the case against the “overall decline of the high street”.
Mr Powell is due to speak in support of the amendment when it is back in the Commons next week. The wider challenge, he said, was getting the bill through during this parliament.
He also said he had become concerned about young people gambling and said a constituent had told him his friends take off their school uniforms at lunchtime to go to gaming centres.
He did not suggest that any young people were attending Silvertime.
Gaming centres, he said, “prey on vulnerable communities” including people using nearby addiction clinics, in asylum accommodation or temporary accommodation”.
Silvertime told The Standard there was “no evidence that this shop has caused any issues”, nor “any impact on young or vulnerable people”, adding that it had liaised with local councillors and centres before submitting the plan.
It said: “Silvertime has in place a large number of Policies and Procedures which are approved by the Gambling Commission and which will be implemented to ensure the premises will be managed well and protect the young and vulnerable.”
It also said that the new shop, despite being larger than the current premises, will still be “below average” and is not part of a plan to create a local gambling hub.
“This is a straightforward application to relocate a Gambling venue to another very nearby venue with the original venue (which has not had any issues) closing down before the new venue opens,” it said.
