Feetham says Gibraltar can’t take double hit following gambling tax increase

The Government has confirmed it has not signed a contract with any external artificial intelligence provider, although an AI project involving the Central Arrears Unit and Tax Office is in development.

The Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, Nigel Feetham, was answering questions from the Opposition in Parliament.

Speaking in Parliament, Minister Nigel Feetham, provided details of a recent trip to El Salvador, which cost just over £10,000.

Mr Feetham said the visit included meetings with regulators, government officials and industry representatives as Gibraltar seeks to strengthen its position as a jurisdiction for innovation, financial services and digital assets. He said the trip has already generated new business interest, including applications in the prediction markets, gaming and financial services sectors.

In answer to questions from the Opposition, Mr Feetham also provided an update on the Authorisation Regime. This refers to permanent legal framework that allows Gibraltar-based financial services firms to access the United Kingdom market - something he said the UK has reaffirmed it's commitment to. He said proposed changes to UK legislation could help speed up implementation. 

And in response to questions on the Gambling Act 2025, Nigel Feetham said provisions relating to regulated individuals were delayed to ease pressure on the industry, allow for a digital licensing process and to give the Gambling Division more time to manage ongoing licensing work. The new regime is not expected to come into effect before October.

And, tax receipts provided to Parliament show the Gaming and Betting and Insurance industries account by far the biggest share of corporate tax each year – bringing in over £170million combined in 2025/26.

In total Nigel Feetham said the amount collected was over £252 million for the last financial year.