Ladbrokes owner and Grosvenor casino parent have both urged the Government to rethink reported proposals ahead of the Autumn budget
Two major British gambling companies have warned the Government that further tax increases could put jobs and places at risk ahead of the Autumn Budget.
owner Ladbrokes Entain and Grosvenor casino parent company Rank Group have both called on the Government to reconsider the reported plan to increase taxes on the industry.
Entain, which also owns Coral, said the UK had become an “increasingly challenging tax environment”.
Stella David, the company’s chief executive, said: “Both online and retail are important parts of our business and important contributors to tax revenue and local communities.
“We strongly urge the British Government to carefully consider any further gambling tax increases that will threaten the livelihood of many shops, jobs and livelihoods.”
The government is reportedly considering an increase in the level of duty on gaming machines – a levy applied to fruit machines, roulette machines and other slot machines – in this month’s Budget.
This follows an increase in remote gaming duties, tax on online casinos and slots, which rose from 21% to 40% in April this year, after the changes were announced in the last Autumn Budget.
On Thursday, Entain announced that net gaming revenue increased by 4% in the group in the third quarter of 2026, compared to the same period last year.
The figures were supported by stronger-than-anticipated trade in the UK and Ireland, despite a “challenging” tax climate. This really helps to reduce the effect of plummeting sales in Brazilian operations, which was hit by the ban on online gambling that took effect last month.
Meanwhile, Rank Group, which operates the Grosvenor casino and Mecca bingo hall, also cautioned that the increase in duty will result in the closure of the venue.
Richard Harris, chief executive of Rank, said: “Speculation about the next Budget continues to weigh heavily on investor sentiment, but our message is clear: any increase in the task of gaming machines will increase costs, reduce the life of the venue, lead to the closure of places and job losses, reduce tax receipts and stop investment.
“HM Treasury recognized this last year’s economic arguments and, with the right conditions, we believe that casinos and bingo clubs can play an important role in the Government’s growth agenda.”
It comes as Rank announced that its net gaming revenue was up 5% to £216.1 million for the quarter ending September 30.
This increase is attributed to the 6% growth of its digital arm, including the increase of its online Mecca bingo operations.
It also sent up 6% in net gaming revenue from the Grosvenor casino site, with the number of visitors up 1% and spend per visit increasing 5%.
However, the group also closed three of its casinos—in Swansea, Reading Central and Sunderland—during the quarter.