The stakes are high for a tax on the gambling industry | Letters

Readers respond to an article by Gordon Brown that proposes a tax on the betting sector to help alleviate child povertyGordon Brown is right to call for a fair and targeted tax on the excessive profits of the gambling industry to help tackle child poverty (The gambling industry is a licence to print money. Tax it properly – and turbocharge the fight against child poverty, 6 August). This policy supports our shared goals of delivering sustainable public finances alongside improved public health outcomes as well as the government’s manifesto pledges to reduce gambling-related harms and alleviate child poverty.This £11.5bn sector benefits enormously from VAT exemptions and pays just 21% tax – far below the 35%-57% rates elsewhere in western Europe and the US. By contrast, other harmful products like cigarettes and alcohol are taxed at up to 80%. At the same time, gambling leads to harms that cost the NHS and other services well over £1bn a year. Continue reading...

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