Pound

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hinted that gambling taxes could soon be going up, though he stopped just short of saying it outright. During an interview with ITV, he said people "won't have to wait much longer" to find out what steps the government will take. His comments were brief, but the direction of travel was hard to miss. By the sound of it, higher duties on betting firms are very much under discussion at the Treasury.

Industry Pushback and What Might Follow

Nothing official has been set out, but reports from Westminster suggest the numbers being floated are significant. One proposal would raise the remote gaming duty for online casinos from 21 to 50%. Slot machine duty could jump to match it, while general betting duty on non-racing wagers might climb from 15 to 25%. The Institute for Public Policy Research reckons those changes together could add roughly £3 billion to annual tax receipts.

Online betting now makes up the lion's share of the UK market. Many players use reputable platforms highlighted on this list, curated by betting analyst Matteo Farina, where fast withdrawals and transparent banking are part of the appeal. These sites have become an anchor for regulated gambling in Britain, showing how far digital gaming has come and how tightly it's now overseen. If higher taxes were to be applied, like in other instances, the players would be the most affected.

The Betting and Gaming Council, which represents licensed operators, has warned the government to tread carefully. They point to the Dutch experience, where a similar tax increase supposedly led to lower overall returns as players drifted toward unregulated sites. "Once that money leaves the legal market," a BGC spokesperson told reporters, "it doesn't come back easily".

The idea isn't entirely new. Think tanks such as the Social Market Foundation and the Institute for Public Policy Research have been pushing for it for months. Their pitch is simple enough: gambling companies have done well in recent years, so it's reasonable for them to give back a bit more through taxation. Among Labour MPs, that argument has found plenty of sympathy. A fair few of them have said privately that the proposal has been "a long time coming".

Gordon Brown, never shy about fiscal or political matters, has added his voice to the debate. Speaking to Sky News, the former Prime Minister drew a comparison that got people talking. He spoke about how other recreational activities targeted towards adults are taxed quite high. Many sit around the 70% mark, while gambling is only taxed at 21%. To this, he said that there was certainly room to move. Brown's view is that the industry can handle it and that the proceeds would be better used elsewhere.

From the business side, the reaction has been wary. Entain, which owns Ladbrokes and Coral, has hinted that major tax jumps could hit jobs and investment. They've even warned that hundreds of high-street betting shops might have to close if margins shrink too much. Flutter Entertainment hasn't said as much publicly, but insiders suggest they're watching developments nervously.

Supporters of a rise see things differently. They argue that the biggest companies in the sector have deep enough pockets to absorb the hit. Recent profit figures seem to back that up, and campaigners point out that gambling revenues have stayed strong even with stricter regulation. For them, this is a matter of fairness and modernisation rather than punishment.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been careful not to box herself in, which she's followed with other recent decisions she's made in office. She's said the details will come in the Autumn Budget and that the government's priority is "fiscal responsibility". Still, Treasury officials are said to be running several models to find a middle ground that raises money without crippling the market.

Economists who follow the sector say the government's in a tricky spot. Raise taxes too sharply, and some operators might shift more business overseas. Go too softly and the revenue barely makes a dent in spending plans. Either way, it's a balancing act between politics, economics, and public perception.

As Budget day edges closer, speculation around Westminster is ramping up. Lobbyists are making their final calls, analysts are crunching their numbers, and industry bosses are waiting to see how much their bottom line might change. Whatever happens, one thing's certain: gambling will be a headline issue again before the month is out.