Labour MP Calls for New Gambling Act

MP says gambling laws no longer match today's market

Labour MP Alex Ballinger called for a new Gambling Act during a Social Market Foundation (SMF) panel on 30 June. He spoke as co-chair of the APPG for Gambling Reform. Ballinger said gambling has changed a lot since the current law came into force. Online gambling has grown quickly — and many new products have entered the market.

He believes future laws should better match today's industry. He also said stronger rules could help deal with gambling-related harm. His comments came while supporting the SMF's latest report on machine gaming duty. The report asks the government to raise taxes on some gaming machines.

The discussion adds another chapter to the UK's gambling reform debate. The issue remains active across Parliament and the gambling industry.

SMF wants higher tax on gaming machines

The SMF wants the government to double machine gaming duty from 20% to 40%. The proposed tax increase would apply to Category B gaming machines. The report says recent gambling tax changes focused on online gaming and betting. Machine gaming duty stayed the same — even though the government has said gambling taxes should reflect the level of harm.

Ballinger called the proposal "compelling" and said it could be easy to introduce. He believes it may receive support from both politicians and the public. He also said many people are unhappy with the amount of gambling advertising. He pointed to adverts shown during major sports events and other gambling activities.

New Gambling Act could take time

Ballinger said the 2023 Gambling White Paper made important changes. Nevertheless, he believes those reforms did not go far enough. He argued the 2005 Gambling Act no longer reflects today's gambling market — especially after years of online growth. Beyond recent reforms, he believes the UK should prepare a completely new law.

At the same time, Ballinger accepted that passing a new Gambling Act during this Parliament may be difficult. Hence, he suggested preparing plans that could appear in a future Labour election manifesto. His comments also come during political change after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation. That may affect when any future gambling reforms happen.

Debate over gambling reform continues

The latest discussion focuses on several key ideas:

• A new Gambling Act for today's gambling market.

• Raising machine gaming duty from 20% to 40%.

• Stronger rules for online gambling.

• More action on gambling advertising and player protection.

No new law has been announced yet — and the proposals remain under discussion. Even so, Ballinger's comments show that gambling reform is likely to remain an important political issue.