---
title: "Betfred Warns UK Machine Gaming Duty Could Close Shops"
description: "Betfred says it has shut 132 UK betting shops after the Remote Gambling Duty hike. Founder Fred Done warns a Machine Gaming Duty rise could speed closures."
canonical_url: "https://liners.com/news/betfred-uk-machine-gaming-duty-warning-shop-closures"
markdown_url: "https://liners.com/news/betfred-uk-machine-gaming-duty-warning-shop-closures.md"
type: "article"
language: "en"
published_at: "2026-09-22T17:26:15.970Z"
updated_at: "2026-09-22T17:26:19.201Z"
---

# Betfred Warns UK Machine Gaming Duty Could Close Shops

Betfred says it has shut 132 UK betting shops after the Remote Gambling Duty hike. Founder Fred Done warns a Machine Gaming Duty rise could speed closures.

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## In Short
Betfred has already closed 132 betting shops after the UK Remote Gambling Duty rise. Its founder now warns that another tax increase could accelerate high street closures.

## What Happened
Betfred, a major UK bookmaker, says it has shut 132 retail betting shops this year following April’s Remote Gambling Duty increase. Remote Gambling Duty is a UK tax charged on online gambling revenue.

In a Financial Times interview, founder Fred Done said further tax hikes could push more operators to close stores. He pointed to a possible rise in Machine Gaming Duty, a tax on gaming machines inside shops. Reports suggest the UK Chancellor is considering doubling the rate from 20% to 40% ahead of the Autumn Budget.

Done said Betfred runs about 1,094 retail shops today. He also said fixed-odds betting terminals, also called FOBTs, still drive around half of shop profits. FOBTs are in-store gambling machines that let customers place quick bets on games like roulette. The maximum stake was cut to £2 in 2019, but Done argued shop economics still depend on these machines.

Done claimed that if Machine Gaming Duty doubled, Betfred could close 495 shops within a year. He estimated 2,575 jobs would be lost, alongside about £67 million in reduced tax receipts.

Other operators have made similar moves. Evoke, which owns William Hill, closed 200 stores in April. Entain’s CEO has also warned that a higher Machine Gaming Duty could add about £100 million to operating costs.

## Why It Matters
Retail betting is becoming harder to sustain as costs stack up, including taxes, wage inflation, and employer National Insurance contributions. For operators, the risk is that shops close faster than online revenue can offset the decline.

For policymakers, the trade-off is complicated. Higher gambling taxes may raise revenue per transaction, but widespread closures can reduce employment and shrink the overall tax base.

Done also linked the issue to horse racing sponsorship and warned that less regulated access could push some gamblers to unlicensed offshore sites. That shift matters because the black market sits outside consumer protection rules and responsible gambling controls.

For readers in African markets, the UK debate is a useful signal. Many African betting markets also balance tax collection with the health of retail agent networks, sponsorships, and compliance capacity.

## Sources and products

- [iGB](https://igamingbusiness.com/finance/betfred-founder-warns-mgd-hike-could-put-retail-betting-out-of-business-by-2030)
- [Betfred](/betfred)

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