The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has expressed deep disappointment and serious concern following the Chancellor’s budget decision to raise Machine Games Duty (MGD) to 25 per cent. According to projections by EY cited by the council, this fiscal measure threatens to displace nearly 9,000 workers and place almost 1,000 betting shops and casinos at severe risk of permanent closure.
The regulated sector is already struggling to absorb the impact of a previous £1.7 billion tax raid. Online gaming duty climbed to 40 per cent in April 2026, while general betting duty is scheduled to increase to 25 per cent in April 2027. In the wake of the previous budget, more than 600 betting shops have already closed or announced closures, accompanied by over 11,000 job losses or positions placed at risk across both online and retail environments.
Threat to British casinos and high street communities
For Britain’s casinos, the increased duty undermines recent Government growth reforms, threatening venues and high-value investments alike. Particular vulnerability is concentrated in the North of England and Scotland, where closures leave prominent commercial spaces standing empty in communities where alternative employment opportunities are severely limited.
The high street impact is widespread, given that more than eight in ten betting shop jobs are located outside London. Affected livelihoods frequently belong to young people, working parents, and primary carers who rely on stable local employment. Furthermore, the tax escalation places immense pressure on the industry’s financial contributions to British sport, which include approximately £350 million annually to horseracing, over £40 million to the English Football League and Scottish football, and vital backing for rugby league, darts, and snooker.
Executive perspective on regulatory consequences
Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, strongly criticized the decision:
“This is a deeply damaging decision and a blow to the thousands of workers, businesses and communities who depend on Britain’s regulated betting and gaming industry. The Chancellor has ignored repeated warnings about the consequences. At 25 per cent, EY projects almost 9,000 people could lose their jobs and almost 1,000 betting shops and casinos could close or be at serious risk. These are real people and families facing the loss of their income and security, in places where alternative work can be hard to find.”
Hurst added that every venue closure hollows out high streets that struggle to attract alternative investment, while simultaneously handing a competitive advantage to illegal operators who evade taxes, contribute nothing to sports, and ignore consumer safety standards. The regulated industry currently contributes £6.8 billion to the British economy, generates over £4 billion in tax receipts, and sustains 109,000 jobs.
