Gambling Tax Will Not Be Graded, Says Treasury

The government has not backed down over the bingo hall tax hike.

The government has resisted calls for taxation of the gambling industry to be "graded" according to different types of betting.

During parliament yesterday (November 3rd), several MPs brought up the Treasury's controversial decision to increase bingo tax from 15 per cent to 22 per cent.

Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins claimed that bingo should be taxed at a lower level than other forms of gambling, but his suggestion was dismissed by Sarah McCarthy-Fry, the exchequer secretary to the Treasury.

"I do not think that we are in the business of grading types of gambling," she commented.

Ms McCarthy-Fry also said that she recently met with representatives of the Bingo Association and is involved in a "continued dialogue" with the industry regarding tax issues.

Earlier this year, Liberal Democrat MP John Barrett urged the government to reconsider its bingo tax hike, claiming that the increase will put "a focal point for the community" in many areas of the UK at risk.