Genting Casinos UK says a proposed doubling of Machine Games Duty could make 13 of its 32 British casinos unprofitable and put more than 850 venue jobs at risk. The operator said on September 25 that raising the rate from 20% to 40% could add about £16 million a year to its UK costs.

Genting also warned that about 50 support roles could be affected. The company said the additional cost could complicate plans for a major London casino and entertainment redevelopment.

The proposal has not become law. Genting’s figures are the company’s own modelling, not an official forecast of closures or job losses.

What Genting is warning

Paul Willcock, chief executive of Genting Casinos UK, said the company’s modelling showed that 13 venues could become “unprofitable or unsustainable” if the higher rate takes effect.

G3 Newswire reported the comments in an opinion article Willcock wrote for CityAM.

  • 13 of 32 British casinos could become unprofitable or unsustainable.
  • More than 850 venue jobs could be at risk.
  • About 50 support roles could also be affected.
  • Genting estimates an annual increase of about £16 million in its UK costs.

Genting said the affected roles include casino, hospitality, security, customer service and management positions. It also argued that closures could reduce tax receipts from the affected venues.

The proposal is not law

The standard rate of Machine Games Duty remains 20% for machines where the maximum cost to play does not exceed £5. HM Revenue and Customs lists separate rates of 5% and 25% for other machine categories.

The possible increase remains a policy proposal. No 40% Machine Games Duty rate has been enacted, and the government has not published a final measure confirming the change. The current official tax guidance therefore remains in force.

The 40% rate that took effect on April 1, 2026 applies to Remote Gaming Duty, which covers online gaming. It is separate from Machine Games Duty, which applies to qualifying physical gaming machines.

Why the sector is watching

Genting’s warning comes as Treasury officials consider further gambling tax changes affecting land-based operators. If the standard rate were doubled, the proposal would affect casinos, adult gaming centres, betting shops, bingo venues and other businesses with qualifying machines.

The central policy question is whether higher duty would raise more revenue or make some venues less viable. Genting says closures could remove machine duty and other tax receipts. The Treasury has not published an assessment of the proposal’s specific impact on Genting’s casino estate.

Genting’s licence position

Genting Casinos UK Limited holds active Gambling Commission licences for remote and non-remote activities. The regulator’s public register lists active casino, gaming-machine, betting and linked gambling-software licences for the company.

The register identifies the company’s head office in Birmingham and lists licensed casino premises in England and Scotland. The tax proposal concerns Great Britain. It does not create a single gambling framework for Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

What happens next

The Treasury would need to publish a formal policy decision and legislation before a new Machine Games Duty rate could take effect.

Until then, Genting’s estimates remain the operator’s own modelling. They do not establish that any casino will close or that jobs will be lost.

The next policy decision will show whether the government treats land-based machine gambling separately from the online gambling tax changes that took effect in 2026.