Reeves Leaves Door Open To Gambling Tax Rise In Autumn Budget
left the door available to an increase in gaming taxes after Gordon Brown prompted her to raise levies to cover the expense of lifting the two-child advantage cap.
The Chancellor stated she was "deeply worried" about kid poverty as she dealt with questions about the previous prime minister's proposition to increase tasks for online casinos and fruit machine to money well-being reform.
Asked whether she was considering Mr Brown's recommendation, Ms Reeves stated she had talked to him last week and would set out Government policy in the autumn budget.
Gordon Brown stated gaming taxes must be raised to money welfare reform (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
"So I talk with Gordon regularly, and saw him last week when I remained in Scotland," she said.
"Like Gordon, I am deeply worried around the levels of child hardship in Britain. No kid ought to mature starving or moms and dads not be able to pay for the fundamentals for their household.
"We're a Labour Government. Obviously, we care about kid hardship. That's why one of the first things we did as a federal government was to establish a kid poverty task force that will be reporting in the fall and (will) react to it then."
She added: "On betting taxes, we have actually currently released a review into betting taxes. We're taking proof on that at the moment, and once again, we'll set out our policies in the normal way, in our spending plan later this year."
Reforms to betting levies could generate the ₤ 3.2 billion required to scrap the two-child limit and advantage cap, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said.
The think tank's newest research stated axing the policies could raise half a million kids out of hardship and "reverse years of increasing difficulty for low-income families".
Giving his support to the report, Mr Brown, a picture of whom Ms Reeves apparently kept in her bedroom as a trainee, stated it would be the "first vital step in the war we must wage versus child hardship".
The Government is expected to publish a kid hardship technique in the autumn, and campaign groups have actually stated it should include a dedication to abandon the two-child limitation.
Thanks to IPPR's report, we now know that taxing gambling more fairly would completely money the very first essential action in the war we should wage versus child poverty - ending the two-child limit and raising the benefit cap
Gordon Brown
Economists have actually cautioned tax rises in the autumn are likely required to plug a hole in the general public finances left by poor financial figures and U-turns on well-being, prompting speculation about which locations Ms Reeves might target.
The IPPR suggested increasing taxes on online casinos from 21% to 50% and raising those on slots and video gaming makers, from 20% to 50%.
Mr Brown included: "Thanks to IPPR's report, we now know that taxing betting more fairly would fully money the first vital step in the war we should wage against kid poverty - ending the two-child limit and raising the benefit cap."
Labour Mayor for the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram loaded more pressure on the Chancellor later Thursday, saying that lifting 500,000 kids out of poverty should be "a national mission".
"Gordon is area on," he stated. "The Government has a real chance to act now and change young lives throughout the nation."
Gordon is area on - lifting 500,000 children out of hardship must be a nationwide mission.
The government has a genuine chance to act now and transform young lives across the nation.
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 "financially reckless, factually deceiving" proposals which "threat driving big numbers to the growing, hazardous, uncontrolled gaming black market, which does not safeguard customers and contributes zero tax".
They added: "Further tax increases, 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, tasks, development and public finances."