Gambling Policy Commission Opens UK Law Review Without Naming Its Funders

A panel of economists led by Jagjit Chadha wants evidence on whether the 2005 Act and the 2023 White Paper still work, and whether Britain needs a new Gambling Act. It says it is independent of government and industry, but not who pays for it.

• The Gambling Policy Commission launched an independent review of UK gambling legislation on 9 November, chaired by Cambridge economist Jagjit Chadha and due to report in 2028
• Its call for evidence, open until 12 February 2027, asks whether the 2023 White Paper reforms were proportionate and evidence-based and whether a new Gambling Act is needed
• The Commission says it is independent of government, regulators and industry, but none of its published documents says who funds it
• Companies House lists Gambling Policy Committee Ltd, incorporated in March 2026 at the Commission's address, with Chadha, James Noyes and Thomas Savill as directors and Noyes holding 52 of 100 shares
• It will ask whether part of General Betting Duty should become a statutory Sports Betting Levy, as the government prepares to consult on ending aim to permit

An Economists' Review of the Gambling Act Begins Outside Government

The Gambling Policy Commission announced on Monday 9 November that it is opening an independent review of the legislative framework for gambling in the United Kingdom, alongside a call for evidence. Its launch release presents it as the first comprehensive review since the government-commissioned Budd Report of 2001.

The chair is Jagjit Chadha OBE, professor of economics at the University of Cambridge and former director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. Reading economist James Reade is chief economist. The members are journalist Philippe Auclair, health economist Chris Bojke, former YouGov president Peter Kellner, UCL economist Lindsey Macmillan, former University of Glasgow principal Sir Anton Muscatelli, policy researcher James Noyes, Cambridge private law professor Janet O'Sullivan and Thomas Savill, a director of Plumpton Racecourse.

The call for evidence runs from 4 November to Friday 12 February 2027. The Commission says it will publish submissions, commission research through 2027 and report in 2028, with draft legislation "where the evidence supports them". The Gambling Commission told NEXT.io it has no affiliation with the new body.

Eight Objectives, From the White Paper to a State Monopoly

The terms of reference set eight objectives. On the 2023 White Paper, the Commission asks what its measurable effects have been and whether the reforms were "proportionate and supported by a sufficiently robust evidence base". It will also assess recent tax changes, the case for a new Act covering prediction markets, crypto and AI, and coordination across government.

Some questions go further than the White Paper did. Under illicit gambling, the Commission asks whether certain forms of remote gaming should be removed from commercial provision, comparing open licensing with concessions and a state monopoly. Under harm, it asks whether the statutory levy is working and whether a new Act should create civil liability for gambling harm. Under sport, it asks whether part of General Betting Duty should become a statutory Sports Betting Levy, giving horseracing "particular consideration".

A Private Company With Three Shareholders

None of the Commission's published documents names a funder, sponsor or grant. Companies House records Gambling Policy Committee Ltd, a private company limited by shares incorporated on 18 March 2026 at 32 Curzon Street in London, the address on the Commission's website. The directors are Chadha, Noyes and Savill. Noyes holds 52 of the 100 shares and is the registered person with significant control; Chadha and Savill hold 24 each. Its first accounts are not due until December 2027.

The Commission's site describes Noyes as a former Labour Party adviser who worked on gambling as a senior fellow at the Social Market Foundation. Savill wrote Plumpton's October 2025 paper Securing Racing's Future, which endorsed a Social Market Foundation proposal to cut General Betting Duty on racing bets from 15% to 5% and double the horserace betting levy from 10% to 20%, and quoted Noyes in support.

Funding Is the First Question Respondents Will Ask

Operators, charities and regulators asked for evidence will want to know who is paying. When the government requires recipients of levy-funded prevention grants to forswear direct industry money, independence is judged by funding, not assertion. The Commission's questions include ones no industry body would pose, such as a state monopoly. Until it names its funders, its independence rests on its own word.

The Levy Question Has Familiar Authors

The sports betting question echoes, in broader form, a plan two of the company's three directors have championed. The terms of reference say the Commission has no "predetermined conclusions" and may recommend keeping existing arrangements. But with the Budget having just raised Machine Games Duty to 25% and racing's funding contested, evidence on that objective will be read with the directors' prior positions in mind.

A 2028 Report Arrives After the Current Reforms Settle

With an aim to permit consultation expected and financial risk assessments being phased in, most White Paper measures will have bedded in by 2028. The Commission is positioning itself for the next Act, not this round.

The Commission asks the right questions, including several the White Paper avoided. Its answers will carry weight only if it is as open about its own money as it hopes respondents will be with their evidence.