Further Casino Tax Hikes Put £200M UK Investment Drive At Risk, BGC Warns
Britain's casino operators risk losing more than £50 million of planned investment if the government doubles Machine Games Duty (MGD) from 20% to 40%, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) warned on October 2, 2026, a day after Genting Casinos confirmed the closure of its Coventry venue.
New BGC analysis, based on investment plans submitted by four of Britain's largest casino operators, found that more than £200 million of investment is currently planned nationwide following the government's casino modernisation reforms.
Doubling MGD would immediately wipe out more than £50 million from that pipeline, with projects across the country facing cancellation or scaling back, the BGC said.
The plans include £8 million earmarked for Bristol, £5 million for Cardiff and £5 million for Bournemouth, alongside Genting's proposed redevelopment of London's Trocadero in the West End, which the BGC said would create hundreds of jobs.
Britain's casinos directly employ more than 10,000 people and support a further 3,700 jobs, the trade body said, with the sector welcoming around 14 million customer visits in 2025, contributing £515 million in taxes and generating an estimated £815 million for the wider economy.
Hurst: Tax Hikes Would Run Counter To Growth Ambitions
Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said in the release: "The Government's casino modernisation reforms were designed to unlock investment, support jobs and help regenerate communities across Britain. Our members responded by bringing forward more than £200 million of planned investment in venues across the country."
Hurst continued: "Further tax hikes would put this £200 million investment drive at risk, with more than £50 million of projects already identified as likely to be cancelled or scaled back if MGD is doubled. That runs completely counter to the Government's ambition to boost economic growth and encourage private investment across the UK."
She added that projects in Bristol, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Greater Manchester and London's West End represent "exactly the kind of regeneration ministers say they want to see."
Genting's Coventry Closure Adds Pressure
The BGC's warning, published on its website, lands a day after Genting Casinos confirmed it would shut its Coventry venue, with further job losses expected after the operator concluded the casino was no longer commercially viable.
Genting said any further MGD increase would lead to more closures, job losses and reduced investment in towns and cities across Britain.
The BGC said further MGD rises would have consequences beyond the casino floor, reducing private-sector investment, slowing regeneration, and weakening local economies at a time when ministers are encouraging businesses to invest across the UK.
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What's Next For Casino Duty
MGD currently sits at 20%, the rate the BGC's Casino Group has urged the Treasury to maintain in its formal Budget submission.
The warning comes ahead of the government's next Budget, with the casino and wider betting sector braced for further tax decisions after a run of duty changes affecting the industry through 2025 and 2026.
Players and operators following the UK casino news agenda should expect the Budget outcome to shape investment plans well beyond this year.
