UK Gambling Executives Urge Stability on Tax Policy Ahead of October Budget Decision

Chief executives from six leading UK gambling operators sent a joint letter to Chancellor John Healey on October 14, and the Betting & Gaming Council published that correspondence the same day. The signatories, who represent Entain, Flutter UK & Ireland, bet365, Bally’s, evoke, and Betfred, asked the Chancellor to rule out any additional tax increases when he presents the Budget on October 28.

The letter draws direct attention to the effects of the Remote Gaming Duty increase that took effect in April 2026. Operators recorded more than 600 betting shop closures and 10,250 jobs either lost or placed at risk after the duty rate rose to 40 percent. Executives warned that further rises, such as an increase to Machine Games Duty, would accelerate those trends and produce a net reduction in Treasury revenue once secondary economic effects are taken into account.

Details Contained in the October 14 Letter

The correspondence sets out a clear sequence of events that began with the duty change implemented in April 2026 and continues into the present period. Signatories listed the specific numbers of closures and job impacts that have accumulated since that date, and they tied those figures to the higher rate now applied to remote gaming activity. The letter also projects forward, stating that additional tax measures under consideration would compound the same pressures on retail premises and employment levels.

Executives noted that the Treasury would receive less overall revenue if shop numbers decline further, because reduced operations translate into lower contributions from other tax heads and reduced supplier spending. They presented this outcome as a direct consequence of higher marginal rates rather than as a policy goal.

Recorded Impacts Since the April 2026 Duty Change

Data compiled by the operators and shared through the Betting & Gaming Council shows the scale of adjustment that followed the duty rise. More than 600 sites closed, and the associated loss or risk to 10,250 positions covers both direct employment in betting shops and roles in connected supply chains. These figures cover the period from April 2026 through the date of the letter in October.

The letter states that the duty adjustment altered the cost structure of remote gaming products, which in turn affected the viability of the broader retail network that many operators maintain. Observers note that the same operators continue to operate both online platforms and physical locations, so changes in one channel influence decisions about the other.

Forward Projections Presented to the Chancellor

The six executives outlined scenarios in which an increase to Machine Games Duty would accelerate the pace of closures beyond the levels already recorded. They calculated that the resulting contraction would reduce total tax receipts once direct duty payments, employment taxes, and business rates are combined. The letter therefore requested that the Chancellor exclude further rises from the measures scheduled for announcement on October 28.

Those who drafted the correspondence referenced the Budget date explicitly, positioning the request as a timely input rather than a retrospective comment. The operators framed their position around revenue neutrality for the public finances, citing the pattern that emerged after the April 2026 adjustment.

Role of the Betting & Gaming Council in Publication

The Betting & Gaming Council released teh letter on the same day it was sent, making the full text available to journalists and policymakers. This step placed the arguments from the six companies into the public record ahead of the Budget statement. The Council did not add separate commentary beyond confirming the date and the signatories.

Industry participants have observed that coordinated letters of this type appear when operators face simultaneous cost pressures across multiple tax heads. In this instance the Council served as the conduit for publication while the individual companies supplied the operational data on closures and employment.

Conclusion

The October 14 letter from the chief executives of Entain, Flutter UK & Ireland, bet365, Bally’s, evoke, and Betfred sets out measured figures on closures and job impacts that followed the Remote Gaming Duty increase in April 2026. It requests that the Chancellor refrain from further tax rises when he delivers the Budget on October 28, on the grounds that additional measures would reduce rather than increase net receipts. The Betting & Gaming Council published the correspondence the same day, thereby placing those specific projections into the public domain for consideration before the Budget statement.