BGC Urges Chancellor to Pause April 2027 Betting Duty Rise

^{The Palace of Westminster, where Chancellor John Healey will deliver his first Budget on 28 October. (Photo: Diliff / Wikimedia Commons)}

The bosses of Britain's six biggest gambling companies have written to Chancellor John Healey asking him to rule out any further gambling tax rises at this month's Budget and to pause next year's increase in General Betting Duty.

The letter, sent through the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) and published on 14 October, is signed by Stella David of Entain, Kevin Harrington of Flutter UK & Ireland, John Coates of bet365, Robeson Reeves of Bally's Corporation, Per Widerström of evoke and Joanne Whittaker of Betfred. It asks Healey to leave Machine Games Duty (MGD) untouched at the Budget on 28 October and to pause the planned rise in General Betting Duty (GBD) due in April 2027 until the effect of tax increases already in place has been properly assessed.

More Than 600 Shops Closed Since Last Year's Budget

The operators say more than 600 betting shops have closed and 10,250 jobs across online and retail have been lost or announced for redundancy since the 2025 Budget. The letter cites 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 shows the number of betting shops in Great Britain has fallen by around 38% since 2015, a decline the BGC argues would accelerate under a further machine games duty rise.

"Already, more than 600 betting shops have closed and over 10,000 jobs have been lost or announced for redundancy since the last Budget. These are real jobs, real livelihoods and businesses at the heart of communities across Britain. Further tax rises will only accelerate that decline," the BGC said in the statement accompanying the letter.

Industry Already Absorbing a Near-Doubling of Remote Gaming Duty

The letter points to the near-doubling of Remote Gaming Duty introduced at the last Budget as evidence the sector is already under pressure. "The Chancellor must rule out further tax rises at this Budget, including on Machine Games Duty, and pause the planned increase in General Betting Duty. You cannot tax businesses that have closed, and the Government risks destroying jobs and investment without raising a penny more for the Treasury," the BGC said.

General Betting Duty currently stands at 15% of a bookmaker's gross profits on fixed-odds bets, and the planned April 2027 rise would add to a run of recent increases that have already reshaped the retail betting landscape. Machine Games Duty, charged on the net takings from gaming machines in shops and arcades, is separate from GBD but is taxed under the same Finance Act framework, and operators argue a rise in either would land on the same shrinking pool of shops.

The appeal follows a string of individual warnings from operators in recent weeks, including from Betfred founder Fred Done, who has threatened to close his entire betting shop estate if Machine Games Duty rises further. Healey is due to deliver his first Autumn Budget as Chancellor on 28 October. The BGC published the full statement and signatories on its website.