A growing group of Labour backbench MPs are challenging the party leadership, including Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, to push for wholesale reform of gambling regulation in the UK. They fear ministers may not be tough enough due to ties with gambling donors. Proposals include drafting an entirely new Gambling Act to replace the much-criticised 2005 legislation, addressing high volumes of gambling advertising, and potentially moving responsibility for gambling policy into the department for health. The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on gambling harm is launching a wide-ranging inquiry into the future of regulation.
Labour backbench MPs push for tough, wholesale changes to gambling regulation
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️A growing group of Labour backbench MPs are challenging the party leadership, including Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, to push for wholesale reform of gambling regulation in the UK. They fear ministers may not be tough enough due to ties with gambling donors. Proposals include drafting an entirely new Gambling Act to replace the much-criticised 2005 legislation, addressing high volumes of gambling advertising, and potentially moving responsibility for gambling policy into the department for health. The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on gambling harm is launching a wide-ranging inquiry into the future of regulation.
Trending- 1 2005: Tony Blair’s government introduced much-criticised gambling legislation.
- 2 Four years leading up to 2024 election: Labour received over £400,000 in donations from the gambling industry.
- 3 2024: MPs won their seats in the general election.
- 4 Last year: UK betting and gaming sector took a record £11.5bn from punters.
- 5 This summer: Labour leadership’s authority weakened by a successful rebellion over welfare reforms.
- 6 Weeks after welfare reform climbdown: A large and growing group of Labour backbenchers begin pushing for wholesale reform of gambling regulation.
- 7 Thursday (July 18, 2025): The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on gambling harm will launch a wide-ranging inquiry into the future of regulation.
- Potential collision course between the Labour leadership and some of the party’s largest donors
- Potential for a new Gambling Act to be drafted
- Potential shift of gambling policy responsibility from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to the Department for Health
- Increased scrutiny and pressure on the UK’s betting and gaming sector
- Weakened authority of the Labour leadership following a successful rebellion over welfare reforms
What: Labour backbench MPs are pushing for wholesale reform of gambling regulation, including drafting a new Gambling Act, addressing advertising, and potentially moving policy responsibility to the department for health.
When: Weeks after Starmer and Reeves’s welfare reform climbdown; the APPG inquiry will launch on Thursday (July 18, 2025); the current legislation was introduced in 2005; MPs won their seats in 2024; the UK betting and gaming sector took a record £11.5bn from punters last year.
Where: UK, Westminster, House of Commons, Britain, Greater Manchester.
Why: Backbenchers are concerned that ministers may pull punches on further regulation due to the Labour party's longstanding ties and receipt of donations from the gambling industry. There are also concerns that more than a million people in Britain may be suffering from a gambling problem, and the current 2005 Gambling Act is much-criticised. The Labour leadership's authority was weakened by a successful rebellion over welfare reforms, giving backbenchers a stronger bargaining position.
How: A large and growing group of backbenchers, including MPs who won their seats in 2024, are making their case via the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on gambling harm, which will launch a wide-ranging inquiry. They are proposing specific measures like a new Gambling Act and a shift in policy responsibility. They have also won support from party veterans and mayors for handing more power to councils to block 24-hour slot machine venues. The Fabian Society has also published a pamphlet calling for bans on addictive gambling products.