Overview
- Chairman Fred Done says roughly 7,500 jobs would go and warns any move toward tax rates in the mid-30% range would wipe out profits.
- Betfred’s chief executive Joanne Whittaker has written to ministers claiming steep increases would reduce tax receipts and drive bettors to the black market.
- Options reported to be under consideration include lifting sports-betting duty from about 15% to around 30% and raising machine and remote gaming duties toward 50%, which the IPPR estimates could raise about £3.2bn.
- Other operators have warned of fallout too, with William Hill’s owner assessing up to about 200 shop closures and Flutter closing 57 Paddy Power sites for cost reasons while cautioning that higher duties would hit jobs and investment.
- HM Treasury has not confirmed any rate changes, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said there is a case for gambling firms to pay more tax.