Chancellor Rachel Reeves has resisted heavy lobbying from betting firms and pressed ahead with a tax raid on internet gaming firms

Online betting firms will be hit with a tax hike to tackle problem gambling - while bingo halls have been given a boost.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that remote gaming duty soaring from 21% to 40% from April next year. It is already a biggest earner for the Treasury and generates £1billion a year.

The Office for Budget Responsibility says more than doubling the rate will bring in an extra £1.1billion a year by 2029/30. Think tank the IPPR had recommended increasing the duty to 50%.

The Chancellor also said that, from April 2027, a new rate of general betting duty will added at 25% to online gambling. She insisted that horse racing have been p

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