UK Gov Nearly Doubles Remote Gaming Duty & Poker Sites React
When the UK Government quietly doubled its Remote Gaming Duty from 21% to 40%, effective April 1, 2026, it changed the business model for online operators and every poker player logging in from a British IP address.
Remote Gaming Duty is a tax levied on the profits operators generate from UK-based players. At 21%, it was already one of the higher rates in Europe. At 40%, it's a fundamentally different business environment.
According to an official research briefing, the government expects to pull £810 million from the industry in the first year alone, rising to £1.16 billion annually by 2030/31.
In the UK government's words, this is to "support the public finances and form part of our ambition to create a fair, modern and sustainable tax system."
They also admit that this could cause players to gamble through the illegal gambling markets.
That extra cash flow has to come from somewhere.
Operators had, and still have, a choice. Raise rake, reduce rewards, or find efficiencies elsewhere. Some will do all three. The first major move has already landed, and it came from the biggest name in the game.
PokerStars Dramatically Alters Rakeback Rewards
PokerStars became the first major operator to make a concrete response to the new tax environment, rolling out changes to its UK rewards structure in two waves — the first on April 1, the second on April 16.
🔴 April 1st Changes:
The opening move was the removal of the platform's two highest loyalty tiers, Select and Select+.
These weren't tiers most casual players ever reached, but they represented the ceiling of what was possible on the platform. Rewards of up to 60% rakeback were waiting for the highest-volume grinders. That ceiling is now gone.
🔴 April 16th Changes:
The April 16th changes hit broader, but don't affect the Blue, Bronze, and Silver Chests that affect the micro and low-stakes player rewards.
🔻 Reward percentages are down:
- Black Chest drops from 40% to 25%
- Diamond Chest falls from 30% to 24%
- Gold Chest declines from 25% to 22.7%
🔺 Tier point requirements are up:
- Gold Chest now requires 55,000 points instead of 50,000 points.
- Diamond Chest now requires 150,000 points instead of 120,000 points.
- Black Chest now requires 400,000 points instead of 250,000 points.
🔻 Points paid for generated rake are down:
- Regular cash games now earn 75 points per $1 (previously 100 points per dollar in rake).
- MTTs, Sit & Gos, and Kick-Off tournaments drop to just 50 points per $1 (previously 100 points per dollar in rake).
Previously, all formats awarded 100 points per dollar in rake.
Only Spin & Go, Spin & Go Max, All-in Poker, and Zoom cash games retain the original 100-point per $1 rate.
To sum it up: players receive lower reward rates, and progression has also been made more difficult through higher point requirements plus worse dollar-to-point conversion rates.
Flutter Entertainment, the brand that owns PokerStars, confirmed its direction in a 2025 Annual Report.
The changes announced in the UK prompted them to do a health check on their United Kingdom and Ireland businesses, which include PokerStars. One of the first steps Flutter will take is "a reduction in cost, including reduced operational,
promotional and marketing spend."
GGPoker Gives UK Players Up to 50% Rakeback
While PokerStars trims its rewards, GGPoker went the other direction, launching an aggressive welcome promotion.
The promotion, running until April 30, gives new UK sign-ups immediate placement into the Octopus tier of GGPoker's Ocean Rewards program, bypassing the first four levels of the eight-tier system entirely. In practical terms, that means starting at approximately 50% rakeback from day one, rather than the 16% that players would ordinarily earn at the entry-level Fish tier.
Under standard conditions, a player needs to generate around $7,500 in rake to reach the Octopus level. That's a significant grind that filters out a lot of players. The promotion erases that requirement entirely.
On top of the rakeback boost, new players also receive a 100% matched deposit bonus up to $600, released at a rate of $1 for every $5 in net rake or tournament fees paid. Additional deposits are eligible within the first 60 days.
GGPoker's new offer went live in the same window that PokerStars was announcing cuts, sending a message.
Where Else Can UK Players Look?
GGPoker is offering a great option, but it won't last forever. We're already well into April, and the new offer won't run afterwards unless the platform renews it.
UK players weighing their choices have several other platforms worth considering.
- Phenom Poker: 200% first deposit bonus up to $4,000 and 15% to 35% rakeback.
- CoinPoker: 150% first deposit bonus up to $2,000 and a new CoinRewards program offering varying rakeback, sometimes up to 60%.
- 888poker: 100% first deposit bonus up to $1,000, a loyalty program, and 888poker Club for exclusive freerolls.
