Betfred’s founder Fred Done warned around 495 betting outlets in the UK could shut down due to more gambling tax increases by 2030.
The company already stated that 132 betting outlets will be shut down which would cause around 600 job losses.
Done noted that more gambling taxes would lead to fewer betting shops in Great Britain, which already suffered from the closing of many of its betting outlets.
Betfred has about 1,300 betting outlets and is employing close to 7,500 employees. It has announced that it will close down 132 of them.
The UK government raised Remote Gaming Duty in the Autumn 2025 Budget from 21% to 40%. That higher rate is valid for online casino games and became effective in April 2026. Betfred isn’t the only major gambling operator shutting its betting shops. Evoke which owns William Hill said that around 200 gaming shops may cease their operation alongside the rise of online taxes affecting its business.
Done who co-founded Betfred along with his brother Peter in 1967 is sure that prime gambling tax hikes might lead to the closure of betting shops without any negative impact on the gambling business.
The debate over gambling taxation continues to centre on the balance between increased tax revenues, the future of Britain’s retail betting network and the shift from land-based to online gambling.
