Gambling Policy Commission launches review of the Gambling Act 2005 with 2028 deadline

The independent Gambling Policy Commission has opened a formal review of the Gambling Act 2005 to determine whether the UK needs new gambling laws. The commission expects to gather evidence until 12 February 2027 and aims to publish a final report in 2028. The inquiry will examine online gambling, taxation, consumer protection and newer products including prediction markets and cryptocurrency gambling.

Scope and timetable

The commission, chaired by Professor Jagjit Chadha of the University of Cambridge with Professor James Reade of the University of Reading as chief economist, set a clear timetable: written evidence is invited until 12 February 2027, research will continue through 2027, and a final report is scheduled for 2028. The Gambling Policy Commission is independent and separate from the UK Gambling Commission, which continues to regulate licensed operators under existing law.

Taxes, economic contribution and duties

The review will evaluate gambling taxation and recent government planning on machine duty. Government proposals would raise Machine Games Duty from 5% to 25%. The sector contributed £5 billion to UK gross value added in 2024 and supported around 75,000 jobs in 2025. HM Revenue & Customs collected £3.9 billion in betting and gaming duties in 2025/26. The commission will examine how taxes affect licensed operators, consumers and the wider economy. Discussions of a Sports Betting Levy and potential economic rights for sports organisations over betting on events form part of the tax and commercial remit.

Unlicensed gambling, payments and platforms

The GPC will probe why players use unlicensed websites and whether current enforcement tools are sufficient. A Gambling Commission survey found 2.5% of adults who had gambled online in the previous year reported visiting an unlicensed gambling website within the preceding four weeks. The commission will assess whether payment providers, search engines, app stores and social media platforms can do more to restrict access to unlicensed operators and how those measures interact with licensing and enforcement. The inquiry will also cover payment-related issues affecting operators and consumers; submissions touching on payment flows and restrictions are relevant to the review (/payments).

“A relatively small audience, particularly one concentrated around vulnerable, repeat or high-value gambling behaviours, can generate substantial criminal revenue,” said Ismail Vali, president of Gambling Compliance International, on the difference between participation rates and revenue from illegal sites.

Technology and new products under examination

The GPC will review how technologies introduced since 2005 affect the suitability of existing licences for remote gaming products. Areas listed explicitly include prediction markets, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency gambling and digital products with gambling features. Will Hutton, president of the Academy of Social Sciences, used prediction markets to illustrate the point: “Everything from consumer protection to appropriate tax policies need urgent review.” The commission will also reassess reforms introduced after the 2023 Gambling White Paper and the operation of the statutory gambling levy that funds research, prevention and treatment.

Industry, sports bodies and legal remedies

The inquiry will accept submissions from researchers, consumers, gambling companies, sports bodies and policymakers. The commission will consider whether alternatives to the current licensing model—restricted licensing or public provision—should be used for some remote products. It will also examine whether consumers should have additional civil legal remedies for gambling-related harm and whether British horseracing ought to have economic rights over betting on its events.

Professor Jagjit Chadha noted that the last comprehensive independent review of gambling legislation occurred roughly 25 years ago and observed: “Since then, both the gambling market and the wider technological environment have changed considerably.” The commission will publish its findings in 2028 after completing its evidence and research programme in 2027. Readers with submissions on online casino regulation may wish to address the commission's questions via the platform for casino-related evidence (/casino) or wider regulatory points (/regulation).