Steep Increases For Online Gambling Tax To Address 'Highest Levels

The Chancellor has actually revealed a steep increase in online gaming tax connected with the "highest levels of damage" throughout the sector.


Rachel Reeves said she was reforming gambling taxes in action to the rise in online gambling, revealing an increase in remote gaming responsibility from 21% to 40% and on online wagering from 15% to 25%.


There are no changes for in-person betting or horse racing, while bingo duty is being eliminated completely from April next year.


Some parts of the gaming industry, such as racecourses and bingo halls, make a cultural contribution to our country. This is not the case, though, for and other remote video gaming


Dame Meg Hillier, Treasury Select Committee


The Chancellor stated: "Remote gaming is connected with the highest levels of harm and so I am increasing remote gaming responsibility from 21% to 40%, with responsibility on online betting increasing from 15% to 25%.


"I am making no modification to the taxes on in-person gambling or horse racing and I am abolishing bingo duty entirely from April 2026. Taken together, my reforms to gambling tax will raise over ₤ 1 billion per year by 2031."


The reforms are expected to raise an approximated ₤ 1.1 billion for the Government by 2029-30.


Betting and Gaming Council chief executive Grainne Hurst stated: "Massive tax increases for online betting and gaming revealed in the Budget make them among the highest on the planet, and are a terrible hammer blow to 10s of countless individuals operating in the industry across the UK, and countless consumers who delight in a bet.


"Regulated wagering and video gaming is among the UK's few internationally effective sectors, creating ₤ 6.8 billion for the economy, contributing over ₤ 4 billion in tax and supporting 109,000 jobs, while delivering essential funding for British sport.


"While we welcome the decision not to raise land-based responsibilities and to ditch bingo responsibility, these extreme online tax boosts will undermine jobs, financial investment and growth across the UK.


"The Government's Budget is an enormous win for the incredibly hazardous, hazardous, unregulated gambling black market, which pays no tax and uses none of the securities that exist in the controlled sector.


"These decisions are bad for jobs, bad for clients, bad for sports and bad for safer betting."


Treasury Select Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier said: "The gambling sector's scaremongering has actually failed.


"The Chancellor has made the ideal decision in concurring with my committee that the tax rate for remote betting, consisting of extremely addictive casino video games, should show the damage it inflicts.


"Some parts of the betting industry, such as racecourses and bingo halls, make a cultural contribution to our nation.


"This is not the case, though, for online slots and other remote gaming which can quickly drain pipes the bank balances of vulnerable individuals after just a couple of clicks of a button on a phone."