BGC CEO Makes Fierce Statement on UK Gambling Tax Proposal

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) CEO, Grainne Hurst, has launched a stinging reply to the UK’s proposed plan to overhaul gambling tax rates. Labour MPs recently urged the Chancellor to take tougher action and to raise the Remote Gambling Duty (RGD) from its current rate of 21% to 50%.

Gambling taxes has become one of the hottest topics, and with the Budget coming into sharp focus at the end of November, all eyes will be on what the Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers in her statement. Tackling child poverty has been at the heart of the government’s agenda, and hiking gambling taxes, it is thought, could raise as much as £3.2 billion to end this crisis.

Balancing the books and dragging the country out of a deficit has also been behind the push for higher gambling taxes. The Chancellor has come under increasing criticism over her plans, and Hurst has shared her reservations about the speculation surrounding increased gambling tax rates.

Government’s ‘quick fix’ denounced

Hurst is fully aware of the impact that the government’s plans will have on the gambling industry. However, Hurst used her statement to denounce the government’s desire to find a ‘quick fix’ and paper over the cracks in the economy.

She said: “They have sold this policy as a quick fix, an easy solution, but the truth couldn’t be further from the truth. Each month, 22.5m people enjoy a bet in bookmakers on hard-pressed streets, in casinos, which are a pillar of our leisure and tourism sector, plus in bingo halls and online.

“It’s these millions of people who will feel the hit if this government caves to the demands of those who look down their noses at people who enjoy a bet, and who have gleefully heaped more pressure on the Chancellor.”

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Pushing gamblers to the black market

One of the primary concerns is that a hike in gambling taxes could push gamblers closer to the black market. Recent figures published claim 1.5 million Brits stake up to £4.3 billion each year at unregulated operators, representing a worrying trend.

Hurst has repeated previous warnings stated by campaigners about the impact of illegal gambling activity. Increasing gambling taxes, she insists, will do little to ease such fears and instead put players at greater risk.

She added: “Further tax rises now risk degrading the offer to such a point that customers ditch their hobby, or worse, turn to the black market. They will be the winners if the anti-gambling lobby gets their way, not less betting, just more gambling with illegal operators.

“This black market doesn’t care about player protections, doesn’t back sports and doesn’t pay a penny in tax. The last thing it needs is another leg up in the form of a new tax hike.”

Calling for stability

While there may have been a shred of sympathy expressed for the Chancellor at the end of her statement, Hurst has called for stability. Indeed, the BGC is under no illusions about the pressures facing the Chancellor, but they are clamouring for a better deal for punters.

Many consultations have taken place over the past few months on betting regulations, and Hurst was quick to stress the £1bn lost in revenue by gambling businesses due to the changes published in the White Paper. Although these are uncertain times, Hurst is adamant that punters shouldn’t be hit by “punitive” tax hikes, as it won’t solve anything.