UK Political Parties Clash Over Gambling Policies Ahead of Autumn Budget

UK political parties are intensifying debates on gambling policies with the Autumn Budget looming. The Conservative Party has proposed restricting welfare payments on gambling via pre-loaded cards for certain claimants. Labour has rejected the idea as unworkable, while the Green Party eyes advertising bans and the industry warns against further tax rises.

Labour Rejects Conservative Welfare Card Proposal

The Conservative plan targets around 350,000 people claiming Universal Credit. It would apply to out-of-work jobseekers claiming for more than six months without a consistent record of tax or National Insurance contributions. Payments would be reduced by 30% with funds moved to a restricted card.

Kemi Badenoch, Conservative Party leader, vowed to be “tough on those who exploit the current system”, which she labelled unfair. A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Conservatives had 14 years to fix our welfare system but they completely failed to make meaningful reforms. Now they are proposing an unworkable new card scheme, which does nothing to tackle the numbers of people their system left signed off and written off.”

The spokesperson noted the taxpayer bill rose by £33bn in the Conservatives’ last year in government. Labour is introducing a £3.5bn employment support package alongside welfare reform.

Green Advertising Push Meets Operator Tax Warnings

The Green Party, led by Zack Polanski, is considering a motion to ban gambling advertising in sport and track punters via personal ID, with tougher restrictions for bettors under 25. Grainne Hurst, Betting and Gaming Council chief executive officer, called the proposal “out of touch” and warned it would push punters to the black market. Hurst added that a full advertising ban would “remove a key competitive advantage of being licensed and regulated while doing nothing to stop illegal operators targeting British consumers.”

Regulated operators are also lobbying against a potential Machine Games Duty rise. They have already begun to suffer the impacts of the rise in Remote Gaming Duty from 21% to 40%, implemented in April, and are bracing for the effects of a General Betting Duty (GBD) hike from 15% to 25% in April 2027. Leo Walker, William Hill managing director for retail, said a significant MGD increase “would be catastrophic if it hits the levels the Social Market Foundation has proposed.”

Stella David, Entain CEO, warned the rise would cost the company’s retail estate £100m per year. She cited Ernst & Young modelling that the policy could leave the Exchequer around £120m worse off. David wrote to Prime Minister Andy Burnham and stated in The Sun that when a betting shop closes the government loses PAYE, National Insurance, business rates and other receipts. As reported by SBC News, a tax designed to raise revenue should not shrink the number of businesses, jobs and taxpayers that generate it.

The regulated sector’s push highlights risks that higher duties could reduce overall government revenue.

Reporting: SBC News

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