Betfred founder says all UK betting shops could close by 2030 as taxes and costs rise

Betfred founder Fred Done says the UK’s betting shop network could disappear by 2030 if taxes and other costs keep climbing. For high-risk operators and PSPs, the point is simple: when the retail side gets squeezed hard enough, the payments economics around it do too.

1. Done tied the warning to rising taxes and other operating costs, saying that by 2030 all UK betting shops could close. The source does not give a detailed breakdown of which taxes or costs he was referring to, just the direction of travel.
2. The statement comes from the founder of Betfred, one of the UK’s better-known betting brands, so this is not a random doomsday quote from the sidelines. It is a view from someone with direct exposure to the market structure he is describing.
3. For PSPs, acquirers, and banking partners, a shrinking retail book would mean less volume flowing through shop-based payment rails and more pressure to reassess which gambling channels in the UK still make commercial sense.