Stephen Hodgson Joins Midnite as VP of Tax Ahead of UK Tax Increases

Midnite has appointed experienced iGaming executive Stephen Hodgson as VP of Tax, ahead of the introduction of online tax increases.

This is an opportune moment for Midnite to appoint Hodgson, as remote gaming duty, paid on online casino, is set to rise from 21% of gross gaming yield (GGY) to 40% in April; in addition, general betting duty, paid on online sports bets, will increase from 15% to 25% in April 2027; bets on horseracing will be exempt from this.

Hodgson’s industry history

Hodgson comes with a strong industry background, with his most recent role being as Tax Policy Adviser to UK trade body the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which lasted from September 2025 to February 2026; Hodgson worked for the BGC on a part-time basis. This crossed over with the announcement of the online tax increases, which were confirmed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Autumn Budget in November.

Prior to his time at the BGC, Hodgson worked for operator Entain for eight years, from 2017 to 2025. Hodgson initially joined the group as Head of Indirect Tax for Ladbrokes Coral; two operators which completed their merger the previous year.

Hodgson remained with the group after its acquisition by GVC Holdings in 2018 and its name change to Entain in 2020. Hodgson became Entain’s Deputy Group Tax Director in 2024.

Hodgson’s gaming industry career began in 2009, when he was Group Assistant Tax Manager at Gala Coral for nine months, prior to the group’s merger with Ladbrokes.

Hodgson has also spent plenty of time in the professional services industry, having worked as Senior Tax Manager for Deloitte and as Senior Manager, Tax Reporting & Strategy for PwC between his two stints at groups which owned Coral.

Hodgson posted on his LinkedIn profile:

“Effective management of tax has never been more important, particularly in this sector, but - done right - it can be a strategic growth enabler. That's why I'm so looking forward to working closely with founders Daniel Qu and Nick Wright, and the rest of the rapidly growing world-class team, on achieving their vision of building ‘the Monzo of betting.’”

BGC’s tax scrutiny

The BGC made a number of statements during Hodgson’s time there, criticising the UK government’s plan to increase online betting taxes, arguing this will fuel the growth of the black market.

The BGC previously commissioned research on what the impact of the tax rises could be. In October, prior to the November Budget, Ernst & Young (EY) made a series of forecasts based on various possibilities of what the increases could be.

In one model, based on the Institute of Public Policy Research’s recommendation of a 50% RGD and 25% GBD, EY forecast about 40,000 jobs could be impacted, with £8.4 billion in  betting stakes moving to the black market.

Midnite expansion

In January, Midnite raised $35 million (£26.1 million) in Series C funding, in a round led by investment and strategic advisory firm the Raine Group. The funds will be used to scale operations and accelerate development of Midnite’s products.

As a more recent entrant to the UK market, having launched in 2018, Midnite may not be impacted as heavily by the tax increases in the same way some of the tier one operators could be, with those tier one operators potentially having to make significant cuts to bigger existing workforces and marketing budgets.