BGC urges Chancellor to rule out fresh gambling tax rises
The Betting and Gaming Council says member chief executives have written to the Chancellor warning against further gambling duty increases ahead of next month's Budget.
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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) said on 14 October 2026 that chief executives from its member companies had written to Chancellor John Healey calling on him to rule out any further gambling tax rises at the forthcoming Budget.
According to the BGC, the letter asks the Chancellor to avoid raising Machine Games Duty and to delay a planned rise in General Betting Duty, due to take effect in April 2027, until the effects of previous tax increases have been properly reviewed. The BGC said the letter was signed by bosses from Entain, Flutter UK & Ireland, bet365, Bally’s Corporation, evoke and Betfred.
The trade body said its members had told the Chancellor that more than 600 betting shops have shut and over 10,000 jobs across online and retail operations have been cut or put at risk since the previous Budget, pointing to closures and job losses at several named operators. The BGC also cited Gambling Commission figures showing a significant long-term decline in betting shop numbers across Great Britain since 2015.
The BGC further referenced analysis by EY suggesting that doubling the Machine Games Duty rate on certain gaming machines could trigger hundreds more shop and casino closures, thousands of additional job losses, and a net financial loss to the Treasury, as well as a significant hit to horseracing funding through reduced levy and media-rights income.
BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst said: “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.”
Source: Betting and Gaming Council.