Assess Online Gambling to Fund USF, Levin, Horrigan Say

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2024 – How to fund the Federal Communications Commission’s $8-billion-per-year broadband subsidy is an ongoing problem for policymakers. Two industry experts have a new idea: collect fees on online gambling revenue.

“While there is a current tax” on online gambling, “we would propose raising it to fund some, if not all, of the USF program,” Benton Senior Fellow John Horrigan and Brookings Non-resident Senior Fellow Blair Levin wrote in a Tuesday blog post for the Benton Institute.

The Universal Service Fund, which supports rural broadband infrastructure and internet discounts for schools and healthcare centers, is currently funded by fees interstate voice revenue.