BGC says UK economic growth must not come at expense of gambling

The UK economy is expanding – and the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) doesn’t want to see the gaming industry left behind.

Publishing the latest UK economic figures, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the country’s economy has seen a 0.7% growth in Q1 2025 on the backdrop of financial uncertainties plaguing the rest of the world.

While praising the results, BGC CEO Grainne Hurst also took the time to address what she sees as contradictions in government policy when it comes to rising business costs.

“Many businesses, particularly in major job-creating sectors like retail and hospitality, have been hardest hit by rising employer National Insurance contributions and business rates,” she said.

And indeed, the UK’s Autumn Budget 2024 introduced some key changes enforced earlier this April, which saw the employer NIC rate increasing from 13.8% to 15% – with the earnings level at which payments start lowered from £9,100 to £5k.

As a result, the retail and hospitality sectors are now facing increasing employee costs in terms of hiring and workforce planning.

With the UK government’s plans to harmonise gambling tax now in full swing, Hurst has strategically grouped the betting and gaming industry within the above two labour-heavy categories to highlight that the gambling sector is already strained as it is.

Tax harmonisation 

As online gambling dominates the UK market, the government has decided that a review of remote gambling duties is due. 

There are currently three tax categories – Remote Gaming Duty (21%), General Betting Duty (15%), and Pool Betting Duty (15%). The action plan is to merge these into a single Remote Betting and Gaming Duty (RBGD), which will inevitably increase the last two levies.

His Majesty Revenues and Customs (HMRC) has already launched a public consultation, not on the tax rate itself but on the technicalities around the implementation of the potential new tax regime. This will run until 21 July.

Hurst addresses Gambling Minister

In an attempt to win the government over, the BGC CEO issued a direct invitation to Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross to join her in visiting betting shops in person.

This, according to Hurst, will move BGC’s agenda forward by further strengthening the sentiment that the retail betting sector is far away from what it used to be 10 years ago – looking more like a “coffee shop” rather than its traditional bookies roots, Hurst added. 

“BGC members welcomed the recent growth figures. We want to support the Chancellor and play our part in the government’s growth agenda. But if Ministers really want to see growth, they have to will the means. 

“That does mean backing every industry and every sector – including the world-leading betting and gaming industry. If we want firms to keep investing and employing people here in the UK, we desperately need stability – and not more self-defeating tax rises that can only threaten jobs and growth.”