Reeves Leaves Door Open To Gambling Tax Rise In Autumn Budget

Rachel Reeves left the door open to a rise in gambling taxes after Gordon Brown prompted her to raise levies to cover the expense of raising the two-child advantage cap.


The Chancellor stated she was "deeply concerned" about kid hardship as she dealt with concerns about the former prime minister's proposition to increase tasks for online casinos and slots to fund welfare reform.


Asked whether she was thinking about Mr Brown's idea, Ms she had spoken to him last week and would set out Government policy in the autumn spending plan.


Gordon Brown stated gaming taxes need to be raised to fund welfare reform (Dominic Lipinski/PA)


"So I speak with Gordon routinely, and saw him recently when I remained in Scotland," she said.


"Like Gordon, I am deeply concerned around the levels of kid poverty in Britain. No child ought to grow up hungry or moms and dads not have the ability to pay for the basics for their family.


"We're a Labour Government. Naturally, we appreciate kid hardship. That's why one of the first things we did as a federal government was to establish a kid hardship job force that will be reporting in the fall and (will) react to it then."


She included: "On gaming taxes, we've currently released a review into gambling taxes. We're taking evidence on that at the minute, and once again, we'll set out our policies in the typical way, in our budget plan later this year."


Reforms to betting levies might create the ₤ 3.2 billion required to scrap the two-child limit and benefit cap, the Institute for Public Law Research (IPPR) stated.


The think tank's newest research stated axing the policies could lift half a million kids out of poverty and "reverse years of increasing hardship for low-income families".


Giving his support to the report, Mr Brown, a picture of whom Ms Reeves supposedly kept in her bed room as a student, stated it would be the "very first crucial step in the war we must wage versus child hardship".


The Government is expected to publish a kid hardship strategy in the fall, and project groups have stated it should contain a dedication to desert the two-child limitation.


Thanks to IPPR's report, we now know that taxing betting more relatively would fully fund the first vital action in the war we need to wage against kid poverty - ending the two-child limitation and raising the advantage cap


Gordon Brown


Economists have actually alerted tax increases in the fall are likely required to plug a hole in the general public financial resources left by poor economic figures and U-turns on well-being, prompting speculation about which locations Ms Reeves might target.


The IPPR suggested increasing taxes on online gambling establishments from 21% to 50% and raising those on slots and gaming makers, from 20% to 50%.


Mr Brown added: "Thanks to IPPR's report, we now understand that taxing betting more relatively would completely money the first vital action in the war we need to wage against kid hardship - ending the two-child limit and lifting the advantage cap."


Labour Mayor for the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram heaped more pressure on the Chancellor later on Thursday, stating that lifting 500,000 children out of poverty ought to be "a national mission".


"Gordon is spot on," he said. "The Government has a real opportunity to act now and transform young lives throughout the nation."


Gordon is spot on - raising 500,000 kids out of poverty need to be a national mission.


The government has a genuine opportunity to act now and change young lives throughout the country.


Let's get this done. https://t.co/JQY3K0jFxp


- Steve Rotheram (@MetroMayorSteve) August 7, 2025


But a spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council rejected the "economically careless, factually misinforming" proposals which "threat driving substantial numbers to the growing, hazardous, uncontrolled gaming black market, which does not secure customers and contributes zero tax".


They added: "Further tax rises, fresh off the back of Government reforms which cost the sector over a billion in lost revenue, would do more harm than great, for punters, jobs, growth and public financial resources."