BGC urges UK government to rule out further gambling tax increases

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has asked the UK government to rule out further increases in gambling taxation in the next budget and to suspend a planned rise in betting duty. The request was made in a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey, signed by the chief executives of Entain, Flutter UK & Ireland, bet365, Bally's Corporation, evoke and Betfred, all BGC members, according to the report.

In the letter, the signatories ask the government to exclude new gambling tax rises from the next financial statement, including the Machine Games Duty (MGD), the tax on gaming machines. They also seek a suspension of the increase in the General Betting Duty (GBD), the betting tax, scheduled from April 2027, pending a full assessment of the impact of tax measures already adopted.

The letter sets out the consequences the executives say tax increases are already having on the sector. Since the 2025 Budget, more than 600 betting shops have closed in Great Britain, while 10,250 jobs have been lost or announced for cutting across the online and land-based segments, according to the report. Examples cited include closures of Betfred and William Hill shops, Paddy Power shops under review and 300 job cuts announced by bet365 in Stoke-on-Trent. Gambling Commission data also confirm a structural contraction of the physical network: the number of betting shops in Great Britain has fallen by about 38% since 2015, the report said.

The chief executives cite an EY analysis finding that doubling the Machine Games Duty on category B machines, taking the rate to 40%, could have further economic and employment consequences. The estimates indicate 690-1,470 further betting shop closures, 28-34 fewer casinos, 11,600-15,900 jobs lost and up to £124m in lower net revenue for the UK Treasury. According to the same analysis, British horseracing would also be affected, with a loss of at least £40m through lower revenue from the Horserace Betting Levy and from audiovisual rights payments.

Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, described the letter as a warning to the government about the possible consequences of further tax increases. "I nostri membri hanno lanciato un chiaro avvertimento al Cancelliere. Ulteriori aumenti delle imposte provocheranno nuove chiusure di attività, costeranno migliaia di posti di lavoro e danneggeranno lo sport britannico, con il rischio di lasciare il Tesoro in una situazione persino peggiore", she said.

Hurst drew attention to the closures and job losses recorded after the last financial statement, saying they were real jobs, livelihoods and businesses that are a point of reference for communities across Great Britain, and that further tax increases would only accelerate the decline. She also said the sector is already dealing with the effects of the near doubling of the Remote Gaming Duty, the tax on remote gambling. She said the Chancellor must exclude further tax increases in this statement, including those on Machine Games Duty, and suspend the planned increase in General Betting Duty, adding that businesses that have already closed cannot be taxed and that the government risks destroying jobs and investment without gaining even a pound more for the Treasury.