Gambling Policy Commission Launches UK Gambling Law Review

The Gambling Policy Commission launched an independent review of UK gambling legislation and regulation on November 9, 2026, alongside an open call for evidence. The review will assess whether the Gambling Act 2005 remains suitable for the modern market or whether further reform, including new primary legislation, is required.

Its terms of reference and call for evidence do not start with a preferred outcome. The commission may recommend retaining existing arrangements where the evidence supports them, and it will examine which parts of the current framework have worked and should be preserved. The 2005 Act remains the principal statutory framework for commercial gambling in Great Britain; it established the licensing objectives, the Gambling Commission and the system for licensing and supervision.

Chair Jagjit Chadha, a professor of economics at the University of Cambridge, said: “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.”

The work will also evaluate the government’s High Stakes: Gambling Reform for the Digital Age White Paper, published on April 27, 2023. Some measures from that programme have been implemented through legislation, regulation or licence conditions, while others remain unfinished or in development. The commission will assess their measurable effects, proportionality and supporting evidence without presuming that they should be retained or reversed.

Technology and Consumer Rules Scrutiny

The commission identifies prediction markets, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, automated trading and gambling-like mechanics in digital products as developments that can challenge established regulatory definitions and institutional boundaries. It will examine the dividing line between gambling and financial activity, who should regulate products that cross it, and how future legislation could adapt without sacrificing legal certainty, parliamentary scrutiny or regulatory accountability.

The remit also extends into the practical relationship between operators and customers. Accepted bets, access to winnings, dispute resolution, commercial restrictions, financial assessments and minimum liability obligations will be examined. The commission will consider whether consumer protections strike an appropriate balance between preventing harm and respecting privacy, autonomy and freedom of choice.

Tax changes will be assessed for their effects on pricing, promotions, product availability, investment, market concentration and participation in the regulated market. The review will also consider how taxation interacts with the statutory levy for research, prevention and treatment, rather than examining headline tax rates in isolation.

Market Models, Harm and Sports Funding

The illicit-gambling work deliberately covers more than activity that is clearly unlawful. It includes offshore, unlicensed and emerging activity outside or testing the current framework’s boundaries. Evidence is being sought on consumer motivations, channelisation into licensed gambling and enforcement involving payments, websites, domains, search engines, social-media platforms and app stores.

For particular remote-gaming markets, the commission will compare conventional competitive licensing with restricted licensing, concessions and exclusive public provision, including a state monopoly. It is inviting evidence on consumer protection, harm, competition, governance and fiscal effects; the terms do not recommend any of those models.

Harm research will address the scale, causes and distribution of gambling-related harm, together with the effectiveness and cost of interventions. It will examine whether interventions inadvertently increase participation in illicit markets, how the statutory research, prevention and treatment levy is operating, and whether legislative reform should create civil liability for gambling-related harm.

Sports funding forms another workstream. British horseracing’s statutory levy and betting-linked media rights will be considered alongside sports’ economic rights over betting on their events. The commission will also examine whether a statutory Sports Betting Levy should replace part of General Betting Duty and how gambling-derived funding could support British sport.

Evidence Process and Timetable

James Reade, professor of economics at the University of Reading, serves as chief economist. Chadha and Reade are joined by eight members with backgrounds spanning economics, law, public policy, health, academia and sport. The commission describes itself as independent of government, political parties, regulators and industry.

The commission’s project outline discloses philanthropic seed funding from Derek Webb and says members retain full intellectual independence over research and output. It will commission research from academics and practitioners, with that work informing discussion papers, further calls for evidence and interim findings.

Researchers, consumers, operators, trade bodies, treatment and prevention organisations, sports organisations, regulators and policymakers are invited to submit evidence. Empirical research, data and international comparisons are particularly welcomed. Respondents can answer only the questions relevant to their expertise and must use PDF format, while confidential material must be identified clearly.

The call for evidence opened on November 4, 2026, before the public launch, and will close on February 12, 2027. Evidence gathering and commissioned research will continue through 2027, with a final report containing conclusions and recommendations planned for 2028. Draft legislative proposals may also be developed where supported by the evidence, leaving new primary legislation as a concrete possible output of the review.