Gordon Brown calls for gambling tax to cut child poverty
By: | Published: 2025-08-06 21:40:00 | Source: www.bbc.com
Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown has repeated his call for higher taxes on gambling to lift half a million children out of poverty.
He has backed a think tank report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), saying the move could raise £3.2bn to fund scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap.
Brown, who was also chancellor under Tony Blair, said taxing online casinos and slot machines would be “the first crucial step in the war we must wage against child poverty”.
A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council rejected the proposals, describing them as “economically reckless” and claiming they could push gamblers onto the black market.
The Department for Media, Culture and Sport has been contacted for comment.
The two-child limit and benefit cap affects 1.6…
