Entain chief executive Stella David said the company could consider closing Ladbrokes and Coral shops if betting taxes rise, without specifying a number of sites. The UK government said it had not proposed increasing gambling tax rates; a Treasury consultation earlier in 2025 proposed combining three online gambling duties.
A tax increase could affect Entain’s retail estate, while the government has not proposed a rate rise.
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Evoke is considering closing up to around 200 William Hill betting shops in the UK, with voluntary redundancies and redeployment under consideration where feasible. The company said it is assessing the effects of different tax scenarios ahead of the government’s 26 November budget; no tax increase has been announced.
UK gambling tax rates are due to rise, with remote gaming duty reaching 40% and online sports betting tax 25%. Industry commentators warned of increased black-market activity and redundancies, according to the report.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) urged the UK government to rule out further tax increases, citing job cuts announced by bet365. The group said higher taxes risk reducing jobs and investment and could benefit the unregulated market. It said bet365 is among Stoke-on-Trent’s largest employers and that hundreds of job losses would affect the local economy.
Gambling Commission policy director Ian Angus outlined UK regulatory priorities for 2026–2027 at an Institute of Licensing conference. He said operators were already adjusting to tax changes: general betting duty is due to rise to 25% in April 2027, while remote gaming duty is due to reach 40% in April 2026.
Conservative MP Sir Gavin Williamson warned in a parliamentary Budget debate that higher UK online gambling taxes could put jobs at bet365’s Stoke-on-Trent base at risk. The report says the operator employs about 5,500 people in the city; the tax rate is due to rise from 21% to 40% next April, with a separate digital sports betting increase scheduled for 2027.