The UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has mistakenly published a consultation paper which proposes a 30% increase in gaming license fees.
The information was published on the GOV.UK website on January 27, 2026, followed by a message stating that it was an error and the proposal was quickly removed.
Information on increased gaming fees published in error
“Without an increase in October 2026, the Commission’s reserves are expected to be completely depleted in the 2026-2027 financial year,” DCMS bluntly stated in its statement. document which was removed.
The document is now live after a hectic morning, with the fee information titled ‘Proposed Changes to Gambling Commission Fees’ available for open viewing.
Labor attacked our pubs, tourism and hospitality with hikes in National Insurance and business rates and now they are attacking gambling with higher licensing fees.
I know Labor MPs are generally miserable, but what do they have against everyone having a bit of fun?… pic.twitter.com/buaISjB7Qz
– Nigel Huddleston MP (@HuddlestonNigel) January 28, 2026
Despite the error, the content has not been changed since the apparently premature publication, and there is no indication that these proposals will be withdrawn.
The key facts focus on potential changes to existing gambling fee legislation and will remain open until March 29, 2026, but they portend a increase in UK gaming licenses.
Highlights of the consultation
The proposal affects all Gambling Commission licenses in Great Britain, in the remote and land-based gambling sectors which are subject to the historic 30% change.
We reported on the budgetary implications for Britain’s gambling operators and how they were preparing for change in the gambling sector. November 2025 budget.
This DCMS position is now better aligned with the broader needs of operators gaming business concerns, and their fears could resurface following the proposals, with remote casinos at the forefront of the changes.
There have been a series of gambling regulations (and now taxes) that have made the regulated market less competitive than the illegal market.
He now proposes that regulated market operators pay to try to “tackle” the illegal market instead of deregulating.https://t.co/giH38vgc9m pic.twitter.com/7Jge4nXNmr– Chris Fawcett (@chrisgambler247) January 28, 2026
“In each of the consultation options, there would be significant increases in fees for remote casino licensees… where many of the Commission’s strategic commitments are primarily aligned. »
The DCMS said in the publication that the “real cost” of UK gaming fees has not been covered due to the rapid growth in the industry’s gross gaming yield (GGY).
“This consultation seeks views on proposed changes to the Gambling Commission’s fees…to determine the extent to which the Gambling Commission is able to recover its costs and carry out its functions.”
A significant part of the changes, according to the DCMS, is the cost of tackling illegal gambling and implementing reforms to review the Gambling Act, which they believe justified the decision to increase fees.
“These proposals would reset the required revenues by license type so that they more accurately reflect the cost to the Commission of conducting the regulatory activities associated with that type of operating license.”
While the content released by the DCMS is still a proposal and open until March 2026, there will undoubtedly be a pushback from the wider UK gaming community, but the scope and impact of the changes have yet to be calculated.
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The position Mistakenly published consultation proposes 30% increase in UK gaming license fees appeared first on ReadWrite.
