The UK government opened a consultation in April on replacing three remote gambling duties with a single rate. Bird & Bird partner Zoe Feller urged industry participants to respond, warning that a 21% rate across all sectors could make the business unviable; submissions close on 21 July.
Operators’ responses could inform the proposed tax structure and the administrative requirements of a new duty.
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It was reported that Inspired Entertainment’s chief executive criticised the UK remote gaming duty increase to 40% in April. He expressed hope that any machine games duty rise would be smaller.
The UK government’s tax changes raise remote gaming tax to 40% from April 2026 and remote betting duty to 25% from the following April. The report frames the changes as a potential source of pressure for operators and consumers, but provides no further analysis in the available text.
The IPPR has proposed raising the UK remote casino gambling tax rate from 21% to 50%, with other proposed increases for slots and non-horse-racing bets. Former prime minister Gordon Brown backed the proposal, while industry figures warned that higher rates could reduce tax receipts and push customers towards the unregulated market; the proposal is not Labour policy.
Italian lawmaker Andrea De Bertoldi called for trade associations and gambling operators to be consulted before the government approves a public gambling reform decree. He also urged changes to online gambling taxation and said the reform should protect competition and address the balance between online and land-based gambling taxes.
Italian gaming lawyer Stefano Sbordoni said he expected land-based gambling reform by August 2026. He said the timetable for a tender for physical gaming venues should be known by then, while payment systems and physical venue networks would need separate discussion after the reform.