BGC Propel UK Retail Betting Into Spotlight With New Campaign Unveiled

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has launched a new campaign to create awareness of the UK retail betting sector. Entitled ‘Back Our Betting Shops’, the advisory body wants to put jobs and communities behind betting shops “front and centre”.

While this may draw parallels with The Sun’s ‘Save Our Bets’ campaign, the BGC feel now is the time to take action. And they want to spread the word about salvaging retail betting.

Championing the cause

For a long time, the BGC has championed the cause for a healthy retail betting sector. Indeed, the BGC lamented the tax rises announced by former Chancellor Rachel Reeves in last year’s November budget which saw remote gaming duty on online casino bets soar from 21% of gross gambling yield (GGY) to 40% in April.

As of April 2027, general betting duty paid on online sports bets will climb from 15% to 25% of GGY, with horseracing exempt. Further tax hikes are rumoured to be in the pipeline in the current Chancellor John Healey’s first Budget next month, which could entail lifting Machine Games Duty (MGD) to 40% of net takings on Category B machines.

The suggested proposals have caused rancour within the industry. Moreover, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham eager to revitalise Britain’s high streets, the BGC recognises the external pressures bookies are facing.

Crunching the numbers

The BGC have used a series of stats to hammer home the point about the ramifications tax rises could have for workers and businesses. For example, in modelling carried out by accountancy firm Ernst & Young (EY), it is thought increasing the MGD to 40% could put up to 16,000 jobs and nearly 1,500 shops at risk, while leaving the Treasury £124 million poorer.

Moreover, the BGC noted that the regulated betting and gaming sector supports 109,000 jobs. This supposedly contributes £6.8 billion in gross value added and more than £4 billion a year in tax for the Exchequer.

Despite the ongoing economic challenges faced by bookies, the prerogative of the BGC through their campaign is to ensure people aren’t forgotten about.

Retail betting falling apart

Judging by recent comments, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest that retail betting is falling at the seams. Betfred co-founder Fred Done intimated that retail betting could be wiped from the high street by 2030, and he lambasted the suggested MGD rise as ‘a raid by the new morality police’.

Over the summer, Betfred confirmed it would close 132 shops due to the hike in gambling tax rises, but they aren’t alone. Paddy Power has conducted an extensive review of its UK and Ireland betting estate, and it is feared that 100 shops could be shut down.

Meanwhile, Entain is gearing up for another round of job cuts, and more than 400 of its 2,000 customer-facing roles could be scrapped.

Giving the people a voice

In unveiling the campaign, the BGC CEO, Grainne Hurst, delivered a rallying cry to emphasise the importance of the issue.

She said:

“We have already seen thousands of shops close and thousands disappear. Further tax rises would not just show up on a balance street. They could mean people losing their livelihoods, more empty shopfronts and more communities losing businesses they value.

“That is why we are asking Britain to Back Our Betting Shops. This campaign is about telling the stories behind the statistics and making sure the voices of the people whose jobs and communities are at stake are heard.”