The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has reported that 4,500 jobs have been lost from the UK gambling sector since the 2025 Budget.
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves' 2025 Budget implemented a 19% increase on the rate of remote gaming duty paid by online casinos, rising from 21% to 40%, and outlined a new remote betting rate within general betting duty from April 1, 2027.
The BGC believes that 540 high-street betting shops have closed since the 2025 Budget, with 4,500 jobs lost. This brings the total to around 3,000 betting shop closures and 15,000 jobs lost since 2019, underpinning a decline in the sector.
BGC Warns of Further Job Losses
Chief executive of the BGC Grainne Hurst said: “The numbers speak for themselves. The BGC repeatedly warned the previous Chancellor that further tax increases would cost jobs, close businesses and damage growth.”
“The unprecedented doubling of online gaming duty is already hammering betting businesses. The Treasury may pretend these tax rises only hit online gambling, but that is simply not how the industry works. Betting companies run their shops and online businesses together, so when costs are driven up in one part of the business, jobs, investment and high-street shops suffer across the rest.”
Worse Still to Come
“And worse is still to come. The forthcoming increase in online sports betting duty will pile even more pressure on operators, threatening jobs and investment while taking vital funding and sponsorship away from British sport,” Hurst added.
The Treasury refutes the claims, stating: “It is wrong to suggest it is the fault of the government for these closures. Gambling duty rates for high street shops have not changed.”
