The UK’s gambling reform programme may be far from complete. While regulators continue implementing measures stemming from the Gambling Act Review, attention in Westminster is increasingly turning to a much bigger question: whether Britain’s gambling laws need to be rewritten altogether.
That conversation gained further momentum after Labour MP Alex Ballinger argued that the Gambling Act 2005 can no longer adequately regulate a gambling market transformed by online casinos, mobile sportsbooks and digital gambling products.
Speaking during a Social Market Foundation discussion, Ballinger said the next stage of reform should move beyond incremental regulatory changes and begin preparing an entirely new legislative framework capable of addressing the realities of today’s gambling industry.
Current Reforms Only Address Part of the Challenge
As co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform, Ballinger believes the ongoing package of regulatory reforms represents progress but does not go far enough. He described the current framework as “scratching the surface,” arguing that legislation written more than 20 years ago was never designed to oversee the scale, accessibility and technological sophistication of today’s online gambling market.
Among the areas he believes require closer legislative attention are gambling advertising and marketing practices. Ballinger pointed to the volume of betting promotions surrounding major sporting events, suggesting the issue has become an increasing source of public concern and deserves greater consideration as future reforms are developed.
He also expressed support for proposals from the Social Market Foundation to increase machine gaming duty to 40%, although that recommendation has drawn strong criticism from industry groups, warning that higher taxes could harm licensed operators while benefiting the unregulated market.
Looking Ahead
Although Ballinger acknowledged that replacing the Gambling Act is unlikely before the end of the current Parliament, he argued that policy development should begin now rather than waiting for the next legislative cycle.
His ambition is to establish the foundations of a comprehensive reform package that could eventually form part of a future Labour manifesto, giving policymakers a modern legal framework better suited to the UK’s increasingly digital gambling sector.
The comments also suggest that the Gambling Act Review may ultimately represent only one phase of a much broader reform agenda. As financial risk assessments, affordability measures and updated licensing requirements continue to roll out, discussion is already shifting toward whether Britain’s primary gambling legislation itself should be replaced.
