UK gambling tax and levy overhaul
The UK added a statutory levy and raised online gaming duty to 40%.
The UK tightened the fiscal screws on gambling across 2025–2026. A statutory levy on operators — up to 1.1% of gross gambling yield for online firms — took effect in 2025 to fund research, prevention and treatment, replacing voluntary industry contributions. The Autumn Budget 2025 then raised Remote Gaming Duty on online casino from 21% to 40% from 1 April 2026, with a higher remote betting duty due in 2027.
The Gambling Levy Regulations 2025 introduced a mandatory, ring-fenced levy collected by the Gambling Commission, ending reliance on the industry's voluntary donations for harm-reduction funding. Separately, the 2025 Budget announced the most significant gambling-tax overhaul in years. Remote Gaming Duty on online casino roughly doubled to 40% from April 2026, and a new 25% general betting duty rate for most remote betting was legislated to follow in 2027 (with remote betting on UK horseracing staying at 15%). Operators warned the higher duties could squeeze margins and push some play offshore.
It marked a decisive move to make online gambling contribute more to the public purse and to funding gambling-harm services.
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