New Research Finds Britain's Casinos Bring Customers and Spending to High Streets

^{A new report launched at London's Hippodrome Casino says casinos draw visitors into town and city centres. (Photo: Daniel X. O'Neil / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0)}

A new report says Britain's casinos bring visitors into town centres and send them on to neighbouring businesses, with 41.1 per cent of surveyed casino customers saying they would otherwise have stayed at home. The findings were unveiled at London's Hippodrome Casino on Wednesday 14 October.

The event was hosted by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA). The report, titled Beyond Gaming: The Evolution of Britain's Land-Based Casinos as Nightlife Destinations, was publicised by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) on 15 October.

What the Survey Found

More than half of those surveyed, 55 per cent, said they probably or definitely would not otherwise have visited the local area. A further 72.1 per cent reported using at least one other local business during their visit.

The research also points to the sector's scale. Britain's 108 licensed casinos support approximately 14,000 direct and indirect jobs and attract nearly 14 million visits a year, according to the report.

That fits a wider pattern of casinos anchoring footfall in city centres, and of venue operators arguing that they belong in broader high-street regeneration plans.

£200 Million of Planned Investment

The report arrives as the sector looks to capitalise on the Government's 2025 casino reforms. Operators have identified approximately £200 million of planned capital investment over the next five years, covering hospitality facilities, entertainment venues and customer experiences.

The industry's concern is tax. The BGC says uncertainty over possible changes to Machine Games Duty in the Autumn Budget could undermine business confidence and hold back that spending. Genting recently warned it could close 13 of its 32 UK casinos over the Budget tax plan.

"Modern casinos support jobs, hospitality, entertainment and neighbouring businesses. That contribution deserves recognition in the national conversation about high-street regeneration."

Michael Kill, chief executive of the NTIA, said in the BGC announcement: "Britain's high streets need businesses that give people a reason to leave home and spend time in our towns and cities. More than four in ten surveyed casino customers would otherwise have stayed at home, and almost three-quarters used another local business."

The report underscores the growing importance of modern casinos as destinations that combine gaming with restaurants, bars, live entertainment and other hospitality, and the BGC says that mix is what lets venues support neighbouring businesses as well as their own staff.

Call for Policy Certainty

Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the BGC, said in the announcement that casinos are "major employers and entertainment destinations", and that the Government's reforms last year "gave casinos new opportunities to modernise, diversify and invest".

She added that progress "cannot be taken for granted". In her words, "Businesses need certainty and confidence to invest, and further tax pressures risk holding back the very growth and regeneration we all want to see."

The Chancellor delivers the Budget on 28 October. The BGC and NTIA are using the research to argue that any change to casino taxation should be weighed against the footfall and jobs the venues generate. The BGC release does not give the survey's sample size or method, so the figures are best read as the industry's own evidence rather than independent data.