Gambling Policy Commission begins UK law review with Derek Webb funding
Regulation3 min read
The Gambling Policy Commission said it has begun reviewing the UK’s gambling legislation after its launch on 9 November. Derek Webb provides its seed funding, while the commission says members retain intellectual independence; Webb said he expects the review to inform the government’s approach to gambling law.
A review of the UK's gambling legislation is already under way following the organisation's announcement on 9 November, the Gambling Policy Commission says. It plans to question existing regulation and advocate legal change informed by responses from the industry and beyond.
The Gambling Act 2005's suitability and the impact of the 2023 Gambling White Paper reforms were among the matters assessed, the commission said. The assessment also covered offshore gambling, consumer rights and safeguards, gambling harm and coordination of gambling regulation across government.
The Gambling Policy Commission received seed funding from entrepreneur and gambling reform campaigner Derek Webb, according to its project page. The page says commission members have full intellectual independence over its research and output, and that the body is open to exploring grants and other funding. Webb expects the inquiry into UK gambling laws to be independent and useful to the Labour government. He said he supported Labour in 2024 but was disappointed that its 2024 manifesto omitted the new Gambling Act commitment contained in its 2019 manifesto.
Webb has campaigned for tighter gambling restrictions, was widely credited with a role in cuts to fixed-odds betting terminal stakes and has since advocated higher taxes on remote gambling. Commission member Dr James Noyes, a former senior fellow at the Social Market Foundation, has previously advocated stronger affordability checks and substantial gambling tax increases.
The commission has no direct representation from the gambling industry or licensed operators. Its chair is Professor Jagjit Chadha, an economist at the University of Cambridge and former director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research from 2016 to 2024. Professor James Reade, head of economics at the University of Reading, is chief economist, with research interests including sport, betting and prediction markets.
Other members include health economist Professor Chris Bojke, political analyst and former YouGov president Peter Kellner CBE, and Professor Lindsey Macmillan, whose work covers economics, education and social mobility. Professor Janet O’Sullivan, a University of Cambridge legal academic, and Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, an economist and president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, are members. The membership includes journalist and football commentator Philippe Auclair, who has written critically about offshore and unlicensed gambling. Thomas Savill, director of Plumpton Racecourse, has co-authored a report on the finances and long-term prospects of British horse racing. The commission did not disclose a full list of its supporters in its press release.
Existing measures need time to take effect and have their impact evaluated before more changes are considered, a spokesperson said in response to a question put to the Betting and Gaming Council. The Gambling Commission was also uncertain about the launch; a spokesperson said completing and evaluating the White Paper reforms should be the priority. The regulator said the new body has no connection to it, is not statutory and does not regulate gambling in Great Britain.
Evidence will be accepted until 12 February 2027, with findings expected in 2028.