The chief executives of Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) member firms have written to the Chancellor, John Healey, asking him to rule out further rises in gambling duties in the 28 October Budget, Sigma reported on 16 October.
According to Sigma, the letter was signed by the bosses of Entain, bet365, Bally's Corporation, Evoke, Betfred and Flutter UK & Ireland. Grainne Hurst, the BGC's chief executive, said it "delivered a stark warning to the Chancellor".
The BGC points to a reported plan to double Machine Games Duty from 20% to 40%. Sigma does not say where that report came from, and the Treasury has not confirmed it.
The BGC also asks for the rise in General Betting Duty due in April 2027 to be paused until the effect of tax rises already introduced has been assessed.
The BGC says more than 600 betting shops have closed and 10,250 jobs across online and retail have been lost or announced for redundancy since the 2025 Budget. These figures have not been independently checked.