BGC campaign warns 16,000 UK betting jobs could be at risk if Machine Games Duty rises to 40%

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has launched “Back Our Betting Shops” to push back against further tax rises and shop closures across Britain. For high-risk operators and their payment partners, the point is simple: tax policy is now being framed as a direct jobs-and-high-street issue, not just a Treasury line item.

1. The BGC said the campaign will highlight the role of betting shops through the people who work in them and use them, including long-serving employees, apprentices, managers, customers and community collaborators. The industry body wants the debate to focus on betting shops as local community hubs, not just retail premises.
2. At the centre of the dispute is a proposed rise in Machine Games Duty (MGD) to 40%. The BGC cited EY modelling that says such an increase could put up to 16,000 jobs at risk, nearly 1,500 betting shops and up to 34 casinos, while leaving the Treasury about £124 million worse off.
3. BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst tied the issue to the prime minister’s so-called “Makerfield test”, saying policies should be judged on whether they work for people in that constituency. The council also cited an Opinium poll showing 54% of Makerfield residents said betting shops had contributed to local community life, including 51% of Labour voters and 59% of Reform voters.
4. Several operators used the campaign to put hard numbers on the downside. Entain CEO Stella David warned that doubling MGD to 40% could drive widespread betting shop closures and significant job losses. Betfred’s Fred Done said the company would close 495 shops within a year, cutting 2,575 jobs and removing roughly £67 million in tax revenue for the Exchequer.
5. Betfred has already shuttered 132 outlets this year after last year’s RGD increase. That matters because it shows the tax pressure is not theoretical; the closures are already happening before any further MGD change.

The BGC’s argument is aimed squarely at policymakers: tax rises on betting are being presented as a way to raise money, but the industry says the bill lands on jobs, shop estates and local economies first. For PSPs, acquirers and banks in the sector, that means the UK retail betting footprint is now exposed to a policy risk that can change volumes, merchant counts and channel mix faster than a normal market cycle.