The UK has opened an independent review of whether the Gambling Act 2005 remains adequate for a gambling market reshaped by digital products, or should be replaced by a new legislative framework. The Gambling Policy Commission has invited evidence from researchers, consumers, industry representatives, regulators and policymakers, with a final report planned for 2028.
The inquiry will test whether the current regime can accommodate prediction markets, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies and gambling-like features in digital products. It will also examine the boundary between gambling and financial activity, including products that operate across both sectors.
Professor Jagjit Chadha of the University of Cambridge chairs the commission, while Professor James Reade of the University of Reading is its chief economist. Chadha said the market and wider technological environment had changed considerably since the Act was introduced, and that the commission would assess the existing framework, recent reforms and the legislative and regulatory system needed in future.
The 2005 Act established the Gambling Commission and contains provisions covering remote gambling, betting, operating licences, gaming machines, lotteries, advertising and gambling contracts. It followed Sir Alan Budd’s 2001 review, whose 176 recommendations were mostly accepted and incorporated into the legislation, according to The Guardian.
A central task will be to assess the results of the government’s 2023 Gambling White Paper reforms, including whether they delivered measurable outcomes, were proportionate and rested on sufficient evidence. The White Paper argued that technology companies had made gambling services available almost anywhere and at any time, while the same data and technology could both heighten risks and enable consumer protections.
The commission will examine gambling-related harm, including its scale, causes and distribution, as well as the costs and effectiveness of current interventions. It will consider the statutory levy’s funding for research, prevention and treatment, and whether civil liability for gambling-related harm should be permitted. The 2023 White Paper estimated that about 300,000 people in Great Britain were experiencing problem gambling and another 1.8 million were gambling at elevated levels of risk.
Taxation is also within scope. The review will consider the effects on consumers and operators of recent gambling-duty changes and their interaction with the statutory levy. Gambling was estimated to have contributed £5 billion in UK gross value added in 2024 and supported about 75,000 jobs in 2025, while betting and gaming duties raised £3.9 billion in the 2025-26 financial year.
The inquiry follows an Autumn Budget decision to raise Machine Games Duty from 5% to 25%, with the additional revenue intended to support high streets, including through business-rate relief. It will also examine whether gambling policy is coordinated sufficiently across government departments or requires a more formal cross-government structure.
Illegal gambling will be another focus, including offshore and unlicensed services, why consumers use them, and the effectiveness of action involving payment providers, websites, search engines, social-media platforms and app stores. As we reported on Nov. 5, the Gambling Commission’s survey found that 2.5% of people in Great Britain who had gambled online in the preceding year had used an illegal gambling website in the four weeks before being surveyed.
The commission will consider whether certain forms of remote gaming should continue under conventional commercial licences, or whether restricted licensing or public provision merits examination. It will separately assess betting’s relationship with sport, particularly British horseracing, including possible economic rights over betting on events and whether part of General Betting Duty could be replaced with a statutory Sports Betting Levy.
The call for evidence closes Feb. 12, 2027. Evidence gathering and commissioned research are expected to continue through 2027 before the commission delivers its report in 2028.
