UK Economic Growth Welcomed By Betting And Gaming Council
Economic growth in the UK is welcome, but tax rises would be the wrong move, according to the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC).
The UK’s economy has bounced back with improved growth data. © Andre Taissin, Unsplash
Key Facts:
- The UK’s economy has seen a 0.7% growth in Q1 2025
- Standards body the BGC has given the thumbs up to the data
- The BGC warns that tax rises would have a negative impact
- Labour government that was elected in 2024 is considering further reform of the country’s betting and gambling industry
Newly released data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the UK’s economy saw growth of 0.7% in Q1 2025.
That came as a boost to the Labour government, which is aiming to rebuild public finances, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves noting that the UK’s economy is currently the fastest growing in the G7.
Chief executive of the BGC, Grainne Hurst, said the increasing economic growth is good news for the country.
She said: “The recent announcement of better than expected growth figures came as welcome relief for all of us who want to see the economy pick up. The ‘growth plan’ is central to the government’s agenda, and we now need to ensure that every sector can contribute, including the UK’s betting and gaming industry.”
Single Tax Risks
The UK’s gambling industry is taxed in complex ways at the moment, with the government considering the introduction of a new single tax for the sector instead.
But the BGC believes this could be a reason to increase taxes on gambling companies, which would follow the government bringing in a statutory levy for firms to pay. Hurst said talk of gambling tax rises has come “at the worst possible time”.
BGC CEO Hurst added: “Such a move would risk driving away investment, undermining sports like horse racing, and pushing customers toward the unsafe, unregulated, and growing black market.
“Unlike the regulated sector, black market operators offer no consumer protections and pay no tax — meaning a higher tax rate could ultimately reduce, rather than increase, revenue to the Exchequer.”
BGC data shows that regulated betting and gaming businesses contribute almost £7 billion to the economy, which the body says supports 109,000 jobs.
Lack Of Understanding
According to Hurst, the government should recognise that gambling is a pastime enjoyed by around 22.5 million adults each month, with only 0.4% of people having been identified as problem gamblers in the latest NHS Health Survey for England.
She said: “But despite this success and the obvious popularity of betting and gaming, this sector still draws scorn from some MPs and select quarters of the media. Often, that’s driven by a lack of understanding.”
“Roughly half of all adults enjoy a bet each month, but I suspect that, unlike their constituents, half of all MPs won’t have a bet. The irony is our parliamentary representatives are probably pretty unrepresentative in this respect.”
The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) recently showed that online betting activity is still rising despite participation dropping overall.
Participation in lottery draws was down from 37% to 34% between September 2024 and January 2025, according to GSGB data, while overall gambling participation was found to be highest for males aged 35 to 64.
