The gambling industry in the UK is very prosperous, including the popular traditional national lottery and the historic horse racing betting, which is renowned worldwide for its horse betting culture. Additionally, the UK has many legal casinos that offer a variety of gambling activities. The govern
A social media advertisement attempting to liken the gambling experience to eating pistachios recently hit a snag in the UK. The UK Advertising Standards Authority officially ruled that an Instagram paid promotion video posted by Skill On Net for its brand Gecko Play violated advertising guidelines
The UK Department of Health and Social Security announced on Tuesday this week that it will initially allocate £25.4 million over two years from 2026 to 2028 to support gambling harm prevention and resilience building programs. This funding comes from the statutory levy implemented in April last yea
The UK Gambling Commission's proposed enhanced affordability checks are facing strong resistance from bettors. According to the latest poll conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Gambling and Gaming Commission, 65% of British bettors stated that they would outright refuse if asked to provide personal
Starting from April 1st, the UK's remote gambling tax has officially increased from 21% to 40%, a major tax hike introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the autumn budget. Industry representatives and analysts warn that this near-doubling of the tax rate could reshape the UK gambling market landsc
Evoke Plc recently announced to its employees that it plans to permanently close about 200 retail stores in the UK, which accounts for approximately 15% of its total retail assets. The closure will begin in May as part of a broader strategic review that may also include potential asset disposals. To
A recent industry survey in the UK shows that the average university student involved in gambling is now losing over 50 pounds per week, a figure that has almost doubled compared to last year. This survey, conducted by Censuswide in December 2025 on behalf of the gambling support charity Ygam and th
The upcoming 40% remote gambling tax in the UK, effective in April, is forcing Playtech to reassess its white-label business Sun Bingo. During the fiscal year 2025 financial report, Playtech's CFO revealed that the business is expected to be unprofitable under the new tax rate. The company has initi
The UK government is currently consulting the public on banning unlicensed gambling operators from sponsoring football clubs, aiming to combat offshore platforms that reach the UK audience through the Premier League. Legal experts believe that if the ban is implemented, the white-label partnership m
The UK Research and Innovation Agency recently launched the establishment of a gambling research project, recruiting a department head to lead the project, which is funded by the statutory tax of the gambling industry. The application deadline is April 13, with a term of 24 months, under the Arts an
UK charity GamCare's latest data shows that in 2025, a total of 1,954 people sought its financial guidance services due to gambling losses, more than double the 923 people in 2023. The total debt reported through these services reached 7.2 million pounds, nearly tripling from the previous year, with
The UK Gambling Commission recently announced the appointment of Sue Young as the new Chief Operating Officer. Young joined the regulatory body from HM Revenue & Customs, where she served as the Director of the Debt Management Office. Her extensive public sector experience also includes several seni
Allwyn recently appointed Katie Hablun as the new Game Director, responsible for leading the UK National Lottery game team to develop new products to adapt to the constantly changing player preferences. Hablun has held senior product and commercial positions at well-known operators such as MrQ, Flut
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) in the UK recently issued a warning that during last week's Cheltenham Festival, as much as £60 million may have been wagered with illegal operators. The Cheltenham Festival is considered the biggest event in horse racing, with total bets around £1 billion. Base
The UK National Crime Agency is recently set to seize assets worth about 6 million pounds belonging to a Chinese woman in the UK, including two apartments, a parking space, and six bank accounts. The UK High Court has dismissed the woman's appeal to lift the asset freeze order, maintaining the decis
The UK government faces calls this week to assess the economic impact of a gambling tax increase on Gibraltar. Labour MP Gareth Snell proposed an amendment during the third reading of the Finance Bill, requesting the government to assess the impact of raising the remote gambling tax to 40% and the r
The UK Betting and Gaming Council recently launched an online interactive game called "Spot The Black Market," aimed at helping consumers differentiate between regulated gambling sites and illegal operators. Players need to identify which are legitimate sites and which are unlicensed platforms throu
