Betfred Ends Historic Super League Partnership; Tax Rises Cited

Betfred has confirmed it will pull the plug on its long-running sponsorship of the Super League at the end of the season. The UK bookmaker has been the title sponsor of Rugby League’s flagship competition since 2017, and rumours abounded earlier in the summer that they were considering severing ties.

Now, the rumours have proved to be true. And it seems that the shifting economic landscape has placed a further strain on the embattled betting company.

End of an era

The Super League deal was arguably one of the most important commercial relationships in the sport’s recent history. When Betfred first took over the reins, the deal was thought to be worth £900,000 a year.

However, after a three-year extension was successfully negotiated in 2023, this represented a 25% uptick on the previous deal. Finances aside, Super League was ingrained into Betfred’s DNA, and the bookie sparked greater interest in the competition.

The 2025 campaign, for example, saw a rise in TV viewing figures. In line with that, it is thought a record-breaking 1.62 million fans attended matches.

Tax rises blamed

Inevitably, the rancour over gambling taxes proved to be the tipping point. In April, remote gaming duty (RGD) paid on online casino bets surged from 21% of gross gambling yield (GGY) to 40% in measures announced by former UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves. As of April next year, general betting duty paid on online sports bets will be bumped up from 15% to 25% of GGY, with horseracing exempt.

If that wasn’t enough, speculation has mounted that the current Chancellor, John Healey, is considering raising Machine Games Duty (MGD) on gaming machines to 40% of net takings in his October budget, representing another bitter blow for Betfred. Indeed, should this measure materialise, Betfred could be forced to close another 495 shops, translating into 45% of their overall retail estate being shuttered.

Rugby League fan and Betfred co-founder Fred Done laid the blame at tax hikes for his company’s retreat from the Super League, as he said:

“We look back with great pride and fondness at our partnership with Rugby League. This fantastic sport made us welcome from the outset and our involvement forged some great friendships.

“Regrettably, following last year’s extremely disappointing Budget, and the ensuing combination of tax rises and wage inflation that led to 132 shop closures, it has been necessary to review all Betfred spending. In that context, it is with a very heavy heart that we have taken our decision not to extend our support for Rugby League.”

Betfred hailed for contributions

As mentioned, Betfred had a front-row seat to some of Rugby League’s greatest moments. And Rhodri Jones, Interim RFL CEO and RL Commercial Managing Director, took the opportunity to hail Betfred for their continued support of the competition.

He said:

“Betfred have been an outstanding partner across rugby league for nearly a decade. We are extremely grateful to Fred Done and the entire Betfred team for their backing, passion and dedication to the sport.

“We look forward, with them, to the Play-off series and the Grand Finals to come in the next few weeks as well as the World Cup.”

Who is in line to replace Betfred?

As of yet, the RFL hasn’t decided on Betfred’s replacement. Jones was tight-lipped, claiming he is excited about the “new partners” that will come in to propel the Super League through its next growth stage. What is certain is that whoever succeeds Betfred has a tough act to follow.