UK Gambling Policy Commission Opens Review of 2005 Act with Horseracing Funding in Scope

The Gambling Policy Commission began its review of the Gambling Act 2005 on 9 November, creating a direct opportunity for British horseracing to address funding tied to betting regulation. Chaired by Cambridge University economics professor Jagjit Chadha OBE, the body will test whether the legislation meets demands created by online services and new technologies. The call for evidence closes on 12 February 2027, with the final report scheduled for 2028.

Chadha stated that the last comprehensive independent review of gambling legislation was undertaken a quarter of a century ago. "Since then, both the gambling market and the wider technological environment have changed considerably," he added.

Racing Funding Mechanisms Face Scrutiny

The review places British horseracing's position in the gambling-sport relationship under examination, including the statutory betting levy and media rights linked to betting turnover. It will consider whether sports should hold economic rights over betting on their events and if some General Betting Duty revenue should shift to a statutory Sports Betting Levy.

Professor James Reade of the University of Reading serves as chief economist and co-authored a 2026 report on Ascot Racecourse. Tom Savill, Plumpton Racecourse director, helped produce the 2025 report "Securing Racing’s Future". Government figures cited in the review context show gambling contributed £5 billion to UK gross value added in 2024, supported around 75,000 jobs in 2025, and generated £3.9 billion in betting and gaming duties in the 2025/26 financial year.

Risks in Harm, Enforcement and Regulatory Scope

The commission will assess whether the 2005 Act needs reform or replacement, extending to prediction markets, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies and the boundary between gambling and financial activity. It follows the 2023 Gambling White Paper and will examine illegal offshore gambling alongside enforcement challenges. A survey found 2.5% of adults who gambled online in the previous year had used an illegal website in the prior four weeks.

Ismail Vali, Gambling Compliance International president, cautioned that "The percentage of people reporting illegal gambling is not the percentage of gambling revenue captured by crime." Will Hutton, president of the Academy of Social Sciences, said "Everything from consumer protection to appropriate tax policies need urgent review."

As reported by Casino News Daily, the review also weighs potential civil liability for harm linked to gambling. The risk lies in whether this expanded scope dilutes focus on racing-specific funding or creates new operator exposures that the final 2028 recommendations cannot fully anticipate.