Entain has taken its tax campaign into Britain’s betting shops, warning on October 7 that a further gambling-duty increase could threaten jobs, high-street businesses, British racing and face-to-face safer-gambling support.

The Ladbrokes and Coral owner launched its What’s at Stake campaign ahead of the UK Budget on October 28, 2026. The campaign features shop staff and says betting shops support around 26,600 livelihoods across Britain.

Entain says a tax rise could affect more than betting operators. It could also reach local jobs, high streets, regulated customer support and British racing.

What Entain is warning about

Entain says betting shops provide staffed, age-verified and regulated places to bet. The company also says trained employees can spot changes in customer behaviour and start safer-gambling conversations that are harder to replicate online.

The company links the future of retail betting to British racing. Betting shops contribute through the Horserace Betting Levy, media rights and other commercial relationships.

Entain says shop closures could reduce local employment, weaken high streets and cut money flowing into the racing economy. Those are operator-led campaign claims, not proof that every predicted closure or job loss will happen.

The tax decision is still open

No further increase in Machine Games Duty had become law by October 7. HM Revenue and Customs lists the current rates as:

  • 5% for some machines, depending on the cost of play and prize structure
  • 20% for other machines within the published categories
  • 25% for machines covered by the highest listed rate

The government’s existing gambling-tax package focuses on remote gambling. Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40% on April 1, 2026. A new 25% rate for remote betting is scheduled for April 1, 2027.

The Treasury’s published response says duties on land-based betting will remain at their current level under that package. A rise in Machine Games Duty would therefore be a new Budget decision, not a measure already included in the published remote-gambling reforms.

Industry modelling sharpens the argument

The wider industry has published modelling to support the warning. The Betting and Gaming Council says EY estimates that raising Machine Games Duty to 40% could put up to 16,000 jobs and nearly 1,500 betting shops at risk.

The council also says the Treasury could be £124 million worse off if closures shrink the tax base.

A separate analysis by Regulus Partners, cited by the British Horseracing Authority, estimates that doubling the duty to 40% could put £92 million a year of racing income at risk. The authority says that would equal about one third of racing’s betting-related income.

  • Up to 16,000 jobs potentially at risk, according to EY modelling cited by the Betting and Gaming Council
  • Nearly 1,500 betting shops potentially at risk under the same modelling
  • £124 million in possible lost Treasury revenue, according to the council
  • £92 million a year in racing income potentially at risk, according to Regulus Partners modelling cited by the British Horseracing Authority

These estimates come from industry-linked bodies or organisations with a direct interest in the debate. The final test will be the government’s Budget documents, the legal wording of any measure and later evidence on closures, jobs, tax receipts and customer behaviour.

Why the campaign matters before October 28

Entain is trying to shift the argument from the tax rate to the wider cost of closing shops. Its case is that a high-street betting shop is not only a place to place a bet. It is also a workplace, a regulated customer contact point and part of the funding chain for British racing.

Critics of the industry will argue that gambling taxation should reflect social harm and that companies should not shape public policy through warnings about jobs. The government must weigh those concerns against evidence on employment, tax revenue, racing finance, safer-gambling controls and the risk of customers moving to unlicensed operators.

The next clear milestone is October 28. Until then, a higher Machine Games Duty rate remains a proposal under consideration, not confirmed law.