Revealed: betting giants lobbied UK government over proposed crackdown
Some of Britain’s betting giants are revealed to have quietly lobbied Treasury officials against a proposed industry crackdown, claiming it will cost millions of pounds in lost tax receipts.
Executives representing Bet365, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes met officials from the Treasury and Revenue and Customs, warning a radical overhaul of the industry could drive gamblers to the black market. The meeting was with tax officials rather than ministers and was therefore not required to be automatically disclosed.
The betting industry claims there is a “very real risk” that the taxes of about £3.2bn a year it hands to the Treasury could be hit by tougher rules for the sector. A government white paper on gambling reforms is due to be published shortly.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of campaign group Clean Up Gambling, said: “The industry is trying to water down the proposed reforms in the gambling review by lobbying tax officials under the radar. This is massive propaganda from an industry that has engaged in tax avoidance for years. I hope the Treasury isn’t buying it. There needs to be full transparency over this lobbying campaign.”
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced a review of the gambling laws in December 2020 amid concerns that too many people are suffering significant harm. An NHS survey in 2018 showed there were about 245,000 problem gamblers in England. A Public Health England study last year estimated there are 409 suicides a year associated with problem gambling.
Campaigners want a new levy on the industry to fund research and treatment for problem gamblers. They also want to see stricter checks on what gamblers can afford to pay, new stake limits on online slot games, a ban on gambling advertising in
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