Up to 1,470 betting shops could close in the UK if machine gaming duty rises to 40%

Five major operators — Entain, Flutter, bet365, Evoke and Betfred — have asked the Chancellor not to go ahead with the increase. For anyone watching merchant acceptance in higher-risk verticals, the key point is simple: when tax pressure rises on retail gambling, shop closures move from theory to operating plan.

1. According to the report, up to 1,470 betting shops could shut in the United Kingdom if machine gaming duty (MGD) is doubled to 40%.
2. The chief executives of Entain, Flutter, bet365, Evoke and Betfred have called on the Chancellor to отказаться from the planned increase.
3. The article ties the proposed tax change directly to retail footprint shrinkage, which matters for payment providers that still service mixed-channel gambling groups with both online and high-street revenue streams.