UK tax & license fee rise prompts exodus, new body in Balkans, Isle of Man’s regulators to levy fines
New tax hikes and a rising license fees are prompting licensed UK operators to reduce activity or abandon the market completely, Croatia’s parliament has been given a mandate to ramp up gambling regulations, and the Isle of Man is planning to allow the island’s gambling regulator to issue fines to individuals.
Licensed operators leave the UK gambling market en masse
The UK has raised remote gambling taxes and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) is considering a license fee rise, prompting some brands to reduce their presence in the country — or pull out entirely.
A rise in Remote Gaming Duty, from 21% to 40%, was included in the Autumn Budget last year and goes into effect this April. There are similar tax rises for remote bingo and remote betting, and the UKGC also issued new rules that prohibit operators from mixing offers for multiple products in the same ad.
Additionally, the DCMS opened a consultation in January to review operating license fees, which hadn’t been changed since 2021. The consultation, which closed on 30 March, included the possibility that license fees for online gambling would rise by as much as 30%.
Authorities claim that the rise in fees is required in order to better fund the fight against the black market and reflect the growth of the industry. However, the dual increase in fees and taxes could exacerbate both of those problems: shrinking the legitimate industry, as operators pull out, and growing the black market, as players turn to offshore options.
Brands that are partially or entirely withdrawing from the UK market include Playluck, which has reduced activity, Aspire Global, which has withdrawn entirely, and Evoke, which has already announced that 200 of its William Hill betting shops will be closing in May.
Balkans formed a new industry body
Balkan Gaming Federation (BGF) was formed by seven Western Balkan nations to establish a platform for collaboration on mutual progress and iGaming coordination.
The BGF won’t replace national bodies of Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia — authorities signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to create a body that unites associations representing operators and suppliers and coordinates policy, compliance, and commercial activities in the region. The goal is to both combat illegal gambling and prevent unfair competition.
The countries have already presented market analyses during their meeting in Belgrade and agreed on next steps.
Isle of Man to allow regulator to levy fines on individuals
Upcoming changes to gambling regulation in the Isle of Man may allow the Gambling Supervision Commission to impose penalties on individuals.
As reported by iGamingbusiness, an amendment to the island’s gambling legislation would give the regulator the authorities to levy fines against individuals “when breaches occur under their consent, connivance, or negligence.”
Previously, only companies could be sanctioned for compliance failures. The new personal sanctions would be in conjunction with — not instead of — company-level penalties.
This change is aimed at forcing leading figures to manage business with higher levels of responsibility and security. The Gambling Legislation Bill 2025 is expected to include such measures for non-compliance and fight money laundering risks the island currently faces.
The consultation procedures upon this issue will be finished on the 25th of May, 2026.
