Northern Irish Politicians Put Weight Behind Hefty Betting Tax Raise

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Members of a Northern Irish legal group have jumped into the fray around betting tax as the UK spending plan looms on 26 November with a hike in video gaming duties now extensively considered set in stone.


The Northern Ireland Assembly's All-Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling has penned an open letter to Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer with the Labour federal government, backing one of the more comprehensive tax raises.


The APG is implicating the Labour federal government of failing to fulfill its manifesto promise of betting harm, arguing that "the evidence plainly shows that remote gaming items, such as online slots and casino video games, are far more hazardous than remote wagering".


A prospective boost in wagering tax has actually been on the political program for some time, with the Treasury having sought advice from on the subject over the previous few months. The Treasury Select Committee of the UK House of Commons likewise heard submissions from pro and anti-tax voices last month.


An extensively expected result is a merger of the three main types of gaming duty - Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) of 21%, General Betting Duty (GBD) of 15% and Pool Betting Duty (PBD) of 15% - into one single 21% task.


Another possibility is for RGD, paid by online wagering operators, to increase to 50% and GBD, paid by all certified operators whether retail or land-based, to increase to 25%. This prospect was very first tabled by the think tanks the Social Market Foundation (SMF) and the Institute for Public Law Research (IPPR).


The Northern Irish APG is tossing its hat into the ring behind the latter choice, arguing that this could raise ₤ 2bn in yearly Treasury profits while preventing damaging types of betting. It has also taken an especially strong stance against the 21% merger idea, identifying this as a 'harmonisation' of betting taxes.


"The British Government needs to not be seeking to harmonise the rate at which these kinds of remote gaming are taxed," the letter checks out.


"It must rather use the upcoming Budget to increase the tax rates on remote gaming to balance out the social expenses of the damages associated with it, which are approximated to cost the Exchequer in excess of ₤ 1bn annually."


The letter concluded: "Reject the proposals to harmonise tax rates on remote betting and use your approaching budget declaration to introduce appropriate tax increases on the market. To do so would serve to reduce the harms related to the activities of the extremely profitable remote gaming industry and raise much needed extra income."


Northern Irish legislators pick their side


The chances of betting tax increasing are now sturdily stacked versus the industry. Reeves said previously this year at the Labour conference that bookmakers ought to 'pay their fair share', while her speech outside Downing Street earlier this week was commonly seen by observers as indication that her budget will see taxes increase.


While Reeves' Monday speech had consumer-facing taxes like earnings tax, national insurance coverage and stamp duty in mind, the industry needs to still err on the side of care and anticipate its expenses to increase in 2 weeks time.


The previous couple of months have actually seen stakeholders in both betting and gaming associated with comprehensive campaigning, particularly the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC).


According to the Telegraph, the BHA's project might have paid off and horse racing is set to be omitted from wagering tax raises. To be fair to the pro-tax lobby, campaigners had actually formerly stated that they pictured online betting, gambling establishments and slots bearing the brunt of wagering taxation, a possibility Northern Irish politicians appear to concur with.


"Remote gaming, and in particular online gaming and slots, is causing untold harm to individuals, households and neighborhoods here," stated Philip McGuigan, the Sinn Fein MLA who leads the Gambling Harm Reduction APG.


"It is inappropriate that these highly addictive products could be taxed at the very same rate as less harmful gaming activities, like banking on horse racing. The statistic that we have the greatest rate of problem gaming is deeply worrying and urgent action is required.


"We are getting in touch with the British Chancellor to decline these proposals to harmonise tax and instead use the upcoming Budget to increase taxes on the remote gambling industry. This would secure individuals, reduce harm, and raise much-needed funds for public services."


Gambling, Great Britain, and Northern Ireland


Gambling in the UK is a little fragmented legally and politically, with the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) functioning as the regulator for betting in Great Britain under the 2005 Gambling Act.


However, gambling in Northern Ireland is governed under its own legislation. The industry was governed for decades by the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, gone by the Northern Irish Assembly's predecessor, the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

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