MPs urge Reeves to tax online betting games to reflect the harm they cause

A cross-party Treasury committee has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to increase taxes on online betting games to reflect the significant harm they cause. The committee's report, released ahead of the Budget, warns that online gambling can lead to addictive, high-frequency betting with detrimental effects on individuals, families, and communities. They emphasize that different types of gambling inflict varying levels of harm and this disparity should be reflected in taxation policies, rejecting the gambling industry's claims of no social harm. The committee highlighted a substantial shift towards online gambling, with its share of gross gambling yield rising from 12% in 2014 to 44% in 2024. While acknowledging the industry's concern that higher taxes might push players towards the black market, the committee recommended the government examine measures to combat illegal gambling and consider additional anti-avoidance strategies. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) responded by stating that increased taxes on the regulated online sector risk undermining consumer protections and pushing players to the unsafe, unregulated black market, while also reducing... download the app to read more