The Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) in Britain rose from 21% to 40% on 1 April 2026, and operators are cutting high street shops and staff. Online revenue is still growing, according to Gambling Commission data for the year to 31 March 2026 and company statements. New Chancellor John Healey will present the budget on Wednesday, 28 October.
The regulator says 2154 licensed operators were active in the country on 31 March 2026, 1.1% fewer than a year earlier. The number of operators had fallen every year from 2017 to 2025, so this year's drop was smaller than before. Total GGY rose 4.4% to £17.5 billion, while online casino, betting and bingo gained 6.9%. These figures cover the period before the new rate took effect.
Retail took the hardest hit. The number of outlets in Britain fell 2% over the year to 8,081, and retail GGY dropped 3.3% to £2.4 billion. Since then, Evoke has announced the closure of around 200 William Hill shops, and Betfred plans to close up to 132 outlets and cut more than 600 jobs.
Flutter has announced a restructuring of its business in Britain and Ireland that could lead to up to 1,400 job cuts. Bet365 said in September it plans to cut about 340 people. Kevin Harrington, Flutter's chief executive for Britain and Ireland, said the company expects to gain market share as the country's largest operator. Entain said its online NGR in Britain and Ireland rose 14% year on year in the third quarter.
The budget is expected to raise the machine games duty (MGD), which currently stands at 20%. The size of the increase is unknown. The Social Market Foundation has proposed doubling the rate to 40%. An EY estimate cited by the Betting and Gaming Council says a 40% rate would mean the loss of almost 1,500 betting shops, 34 casinos and 16,000 jobs.
Separately, from April 2027 the remote betting duty (GBD) will rise from 15% to 25%. The decision on MGD will become known after Healey's speech on 28 October.
