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Table Of Content :

BGC Launches Back Our Betting Shops Campaign as UK Tax Pressure Builds

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Altay
Altay Celikkaya
Content Manager
Updated:
Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Betting and Gaming Council has launched a new campaign to highlight the role of betting shops in Britain as the regulated gambling sector continues to debate the potential impact of further tax increases.

The Back Our Betting Shops campaign was announced on 28 September and will focus on employees, customers and local communities connected to Britain’s retail betting industry. According to the BGC, the initiative will also highlight the potential consequences of higher taxation for jobs and high-street businesses.

The campaign arrives as several major operators reassess their physical estates, adding a broader commercial dimension to the debate over the future of retail betting in the UK.

Featured image showing a Back Our Betting Shops campaign badge with the BGC logo, a UK flag and the Houses of Parliament in the background, alongside the text UK Betting Shops Face Growing Pressure.

Regulation & Compliance

Key Takeaways From the Back Our Betting Shops Campaign

  • The BGC launched Back Our Betting Shops on 28 September to highlight people and communities connected to Britain’s retail betting sector.

  • EY modelling cited by the BGC estimates that a hypothetical 40% Machine Games Duty could put up to 16,000 jobs and nearly 1,500 betting shops at risk.

  • Current Machine Games Duty rates remain at 5%, 20% and 25% depending on the type of machine.

  • More than 3,000 betting shops have closed since 2019, according to figures published by the BGC.

  • The campaign follows several operator reviews and planned closures across the UK retail betting market.

BGC Warns of Further Pressure on Retail Betting

The BGC said EY modelling commissioned by the industry suggests that increasing Machine Games Duty to 40% could put up to 16,000 jobs, nearly 1,500 betting shops and as many as 34 casinos at risk. The modelling also estimates a potential £124 million reduction in Treasury revenue. These figures represent an industry-backed scenario, not confirmed outcomes.

BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said:

Further tax increases would not just show up on a balance sheet.

The distinction between current and potential future rates is important. According to the UK government’s official Machine Games Duty rates, the applicable rates for 2026–27 remain 5%, 20% and 25%, depending on machine classification. A 40% rate is therefore part of the scenario the industry is discussing rather than an existing MGD rate.

The debate comes after significant changes elsewhere in Britain’s gambling tax system. The government has already increased Remote Gaming Duty, with the UK’s higher online gambling tax regime adding further cost pressure for operators.

Betting Shop Networks Face Wider Commercial Pressures

The BGC campaign also arrives against a backdrop of contraction in Britain’s retail betting market. The organisation said more than 3,000 betting shops have closed since 2019, with more than 16,000 jobs lost during that period. It estimates that betting shops still support more than 36,000 jobs across the country.

Several operators have recently reassessed their retail networks. Betfred’s plan to close 132 UK betting shops put more than 600 roles at risk and brought renewed attention to the financial pressures facing land-based operators.

Flutter has also been reviewing its physical footprint, examining up to 100 Paddy Power shops as rising operating costs and wider market changes affect its UK and Ireland retail business.

For operators, suppliers and retail partners, Back Our Betting Shops adds another industry-led intervention to the continuing discussion around taxation, operating costs and the long-term size of Britain’s land-based betting market. The campaign also shows how retail gambling is becoming increasingly central to the wider policy debate over how future tax changes could affect investment, employment and high-street operations.