Independent commission opens UK gambling law review

The newly formed Gambling Policy Commission has launched a review of the UK’s gambling framework, examining whether existing legislation and recent reforms remain appropriate for the modern market. Announced on November 9, the independent initiative will consider the case for further changes, including a new Gambling Act, with written evidence invited until February 12, 2027.

Professor Jagjit Chadha, an economist at the University of Cambridge, chairs the commission, while Professor James Reade of the University of Reading serves as chief economist. The body brings together expertise in economics, law, public policy, health and sport. It describes itself as independent of government, political parties and the gambling industry, and is separate from the statutory Gambling Commission responsible for regulating gambling in Great Britain.

“We want to hear from people and organisations with experience, evidence and expertise across all sides of this debate,” Chadha said. Researchers, consumers, operators, trade associations, treatment and prevention organizations, sports bodies, regulators and policymakers have been invited to contribute. The commission is seeking empirical research, operational data and international comparisons to inform its assessment.

The inquiry will examine both the Gambling Act 2005 and the effects of reforms associated with the government’s 2023 gambling white paper. Published on April 27, 2023, that document proposed changes across online player protection, advertising, regulatory powers, consumer redress and land-based gambling. The new review will consider whether subsequent interventions have delivered measurable results and whether their costs and requirements have been proportionate.

Emerging technology forms another part of the inquiry. Prediction markets, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies and gambling-like features in digital products will be considered alongside the boundary between gambling and financial activity. The commission will assess whether the existing allocation of regulatory responsibilities can accommodate products that cross those boundaries, rather than assuming that changes to conventional gambling rules alone would address them.

Taxation, consumer protection and racing enter scope

The commission’s remit includes the relationship between gambling taxation, consumer behavior and the commercial operation of the sector. It will examine how gambling duties interact with other measures, including the statutory levy funding research, prevention and treatment. The review comes amid disputes over operators’ rising costs, with Betfred’s recent sponsorship withdrawal affecting all five British Classics.

Consumer rights will be examined through issues including access to winnings, dispute resolution and financial checks. The review will consider how protections balance harm prevention with privacy, autonomy and freedom of choice. It will also investigate the drivers of offshore gambling and the effectiveness and proportionality of interventions involving payment providers, websites, search engines and other intermediaries.

British horseracing receives particular attention because of its established financial relationship with betting. The inquiry will consider economic rights associated with betting on sporting events and whether part of General Betting Duty should be replaced by a statutory Sports Betting Levy. These are questions for examination, rather than adopted recommendations or an announcement that existing racing funding arrangements will change.

Gambling-related harm is also within scope, including evidence about its causes, distribution and the effectiveness of interventions. The commission will examine the operation of the statutory levy and consider whether future legislation should provide for civil liability for gambling-related harm. Its enforcement work will run alongside an existing debate over the evidence base, including banking research that identified associations between illegal gambling transactions and harm indicators while expressly cautioning against causal conclusions.

Evidence gathering and commissioned research are expected to continue through 2027, with the final report planned for 2028. Separately, the Gambling Commission and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have commissioned NatCen to evaluate the white-paper reforms. Acting Chief Executive Sarah Gardner said on November 5 that initial findings from that official evaluation were expected early in the new year, distinguishing that implementation assessment from the independent commission’s broader legislative review.