The Gambling Policy Commission, which opened a review of Britain's Gambling Act 2005 on 9 November 2026, is not a government inquiry. It is a private panel, and its own website says its seed funding came from Derek Webb, the former professional poker player who invented Three Card Poker.
The panel is chaired by Professor Jagjit Chadha, a University of Cambridge economist. It is taking written evidence until 12 February 2027 and plans a final report in 2028.
The interest for UK poker players is its scope. The terms cover how recent duty changes have affected operators and consumers, the question behind what the 40% duty has cost UK players, and how offshore gambling is policed.
What the Gambling Policy Commission Is & Is Not
Some early coverage treated the launch as the UK reviewing its own gambling laws, SBC News noted. The name does not help: it sits one word away from the Gambling Commission, the statutory regulator.
The two are unrelated. The regulator told iGaming Business that it was not informed the group was being set up, and that the group is not a statutory body and plays no role in regulating gambling in Great Britain.
| Comparison | Gambling Policy Commission | Gambling Commission |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Private, non-statutory | Statutory regulator |
| Set up | Launched 9 November 2026 | By the Gambling Act 2005 |
| Role | Reviews the law and makes recommendations | Regulates licensed gambling in Great Britain |
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no links to the group either, according to iGaming Expert. Gibraltar's gambling commissioner, Andrew Lyman, asked whether the word “Commission” implies “some degree of official status”.
The commission describes itself as independent of government, political parties, regulators and industry. Its chief economist is Professor James Reade of the University of Reading, and eight further members are drawn from economics, law, public policy, health, academia and sport.
No licensed operator is represented. The panel's main link to the gambling industry is Thomas Savill, a director of Plumpton Racecourse, as NEXT.io noted.
How a Poker Pro Came to Fund a Gambling Law Review
Webb came to gambling reform from the gambling business itself. iGaming Business describes him as a former professional poker player and the inventor of Three Card Poker, the casino table game he designed in 1994.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Designs Three Card Poker |
| 2002 | UK gambling regulations change to allow the game |
| 2011 | Sells his game assets and retires from commercial activity |
| 2012 | Founds the Campaign for Fairer Gambling |
| 2013 | Launches the Stop the FOBTs campaign |
He sold his game assets and retired from commercial activity in 2011, according to his own submission to a US regulator. A year later he founded the Campaign for Fairer Gambling.
Its Stop the FOBTs campaign targeted fixed-odds betting terminals, the gaming machines in betting shops. It ended with the maximum stake cut from £100 to £2, a result Webb is widely credited with helping to bring about.
He has since argued for higher taxes on remote gambling, NEXT.io reported. The commission's About the Project page says its seed funding came from him as a philanthropic gift and that it would welcome further funders. No reported version of that page gives an amount.
Can a Review Funded by a Campaigner Be Independent?
The commission says it can. Its website states that members keep full intellectual independence over the research and its output.
Two kinds of independence: the regulator and the department have both said the commission is separate from them. Its independence from its funder rests on the commission's own assurance until it publishes its work.
Reade told Compliance+More he has had no contact with Webb. “I've never met Derek,” he said, adding that the commission could conclude the government's 2023 White Paper reforms are sufficient.
Webb told NEXT.io that he funded the commission and that it will be “an asset for the government”.
The Betting and Gaming Council said many of the White Paper reforms were still new when the commission launched and need time to bed in. The Gambling Commission said its priority is to complete and evaluate them.
Dan Waugh of Regulus Partners told iGaming Business that Webb has also funded at least two parliamentary groups, at least two think tanks and many activist groups. Webb had not replied to the publication when the report ran.
NEW: A group of leading economists and experts has today launched an independent review of UK gambling laws and regulations, alongside an open call for evidence.
The Gambling Policy Commission comes over 20 years after the publication of the Budd Report and the introduction of…
— Gambling Policy Commission (@gampolcom) November 9, 2026
What the Review Puts in Scope for UK Online Players
Five reported items in the wide terms of reference bear on anyone who plays online.
- The effect of recent changes to gambling duties on operators and consumers.
- The scale of illegal and offshore gambling, and why consumers use it.
- Whether some remote gaming should stay under conventional commercial licences or move to restricted licensing or public provision.
- How the law should treat prediction markets, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies.
- Whether a future Act should allow civil liability for gambling-related harm.
On enforcement, the commission wants evidence on how well illegal gambling is policed through payments, websites, search engines, social media and app stores. It is ground the government has already entered with the UK move against unlicensed shirt sponsors.
The duty at issue for poker is Remote Gaming Duty, which rose from 21% to 40% on 1 April 2026. HMRC's notice treats the rake an operator keeps from UK customers as the taxable amount, wherever the operator is based.
The published reports of the terms do not name poker, so whether the licensing question covers poker is not known.
What Is Due Before the 2028 Report
The call for evidence opened on 4 November 2026 and closes on 12 February 2027. Research and evidence gathering are expected to continue through 2027, and the commission aims to publish the submissions it receives.
What this review cannot do: change the law. The commission has no statutory role, so any new Gambling Act would need ministers to take up its recommendations and Parliament to pass them.
Two things move sooner, and neither comes from the commission. A 25% rate on remote betting applies from 1 April 2027, and the Gambling Commission said on 9 November 2026 that it is widening its action against illegal operators to their payments, advertising and suppliers.
The 2025 Budget gave the regulator an extra £26 million over three years for its work against the illegal market.
The next markers are whether ministers engage with the review at all and the evidence deadline. The commission's project outline points to discussion papers and interim findings before the final report. Each will be covered with more poker industry news as it lands.
FAQs
What is the Gambling Policy Commission?
The Gambling Policy Commission is a private, non-statutory panel that launched a review of UK gambling law on 9 November 2026. It is chaired by Professor Jagjit Chadha of the University of Cambridge and plans a final report in 2028.
Is the Gambling Policy Commission part of the UK government?
No. It was not set up by the government. The Gambling Commission, the statutory regulator, has said it has no connection to the group and that the group plays no role in regulating gambling in Great Britain.
Who is Derek Webb?
Derek Webb is a former professional poker player who designed the casino game Three Card Poker in 1994 and founded the Campaign for Fairer Gambling in 2012. The commission's website says he provided its seed funding.
When will the Gambling Policy Commission report?
Its final report is planned for 2028. The call for evidence closes on 12 February 2027, and evidence gathering and commissioned research are expected to continue through 2027.
