Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has suggested that a rise in tax on adult gaming centres could help with the fuel crisis and rising energy bills this winter.
Brown was speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, and discussed his new book, which explores how social inequalities relate to voting behaviour.
The former PM has been a vocal supporter of raising taxes on the gambling sector – having previously called for hikes in Remote Gaming Duty, Machine Gaming Duty and the General Betting Duty – and he quickly highlighted how a tax on machine games could help rising fuel costs in the near future.
“Our fiscal rules should never be so inflexible that we can’t do things that are urgent, necessary and fair,” said Brown on Wednesday.
“I would support, for example, machine gaming tax – up to £500 million could be raised without affecting bingo halls or affecting pubs.
“But these adult entertainment centres, I would put a tax on that and I would use that money to pay for help in the crisis and resilience fund for people who are facing difficulties with their fuel bills.”
Experts have recently warned that UK households face another rise in energy bills this winter and into 2027, with Ofgem’s energy price set to rise to £1,723 in October.
“In the immediate future I think Andy Burnham will want to do something along the lines I am suggesting,” Brown added.
Burnham has already made adult gaming centres – which include casinos and slots venues – a focus since becoming PM, having recently announced plans to restrict the spread of betting and vape shops, with the government proposing reforms to the Gambling Act 2005’s ‘aim to permit’ rule.
And while he has so far not commented directly on raising gambling duties, they could be targeted in the next Autumn Budget, as was the case in 2025.
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