BGC Urges Chancellor To Rule Out Further Betting Tax Rises In Budget
Bosses at six of Britain's biggest betting, gaming and online casino companies have written to Chancellor John Healey asking him to rule out further gambling tax rises at next month's Budget and to pause a planned increase in General Betting Duty (GBD) due in April 2027, according to a letter to the Chancellor published by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) on October 14, 2026.
The letter is signed by the chief executives of Entain, Flutter UK & Ireland, bet365, Bally's Corporation, Evoke and Betfred.
It calls on Healey to drop any plan to double the Machine Games Duty (MGD) rise and to hold off raising GBD on most remote betting activity until the impact of tax rises already introduced has been fully assessed.
Shop Closures And Job Losses Since The Last Budget
The CEOs say that since the 2025 Budget, more than 600 betting shops have closed and 10,250 jobs across online and retail operations have been lost or announced for redundancy.
They point to closures at Betfred and William Hill, shops under review at Paddy Power, and 300 job cuts at bet365's Stoke-on-Trent site.
Gambling Commission data show the number of licensed betting shops in Great Britain has fallen by around 38% since 2015, a decline the BGC argues would be further accelerated by further tax rises.
What A Bigger Tax Rise Could Cost
The letter cites EY analysis estimating that doubling MGD on Category B machines to 40% could lead to between 690 and 1,470 further betting shop closures, 28 to 34 casino closures, and 11,600 to 15,900 job losses.
The same analysis puts the net cost to the Exchequer at up to £124 million, since closed businesses stop paying tax altogether.
Horseracing would also be affected, the CEOs say, with the sport facing a hit of at least £40 million through lost levy and media-rights payments tied to betting turnover.
BGC: Jobs And Livelihoods At Stake
BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst said the industry is already absorbing the near-doubling of Remote Gaming Duty introduced since the last Budget, and that members have delivered a stark warning to the Chancellor that further rises would close more businesses, cost thousands more jobs, and damage British sport, while potentially leaving the Treasury worse off.
Hurst said the government risks destroying jobs and investment without raising a single additional penny in revenue, since taxes cannot be collected from businesses that have already shut down.
The Budget is expected next month. Bettors, using the majority of the best betting sites, may see the outcome reflected in operator pricing, promotions and shop availability in the months that follow, depending on what the Chancellor decides.
