Overview
- A Treasury Committee report recommends increasing remote gaming duty and machine games duty, potentially toward 50%, to align taxes with product‑related harms, up from current rates cited around 21% and 20%.
- The committee calls for action on tax avoidance and for reviewing operators’ use of low‑tax jurisdictions such as Gibraltar.
- The Gambling Commission says it is not yet able to estimate the size of the illegal online market, while its chief executive labels it a serious threat.
- Betting and racing stakeholders warn large duty hikes could force betting‑shop closures, reduce funding for sport and push customers to unregulated operators.
- Northern Ireland’s All‑Party Group urges the Chancellor to set remote gaming duty at 50% and general betting duty at 25%, estimating up to £2 billion in additional revenue.