British bookmaker Betfred will close 132 retail shops and cut more than 600 jobs. Staff consultations began in September. The main driver is rising tax burden following the Remote Gaming Duty increase in April and broader pressure on operators.
CEO Jo Whittaker attributed the decision to a combination of factors: higher employer National Insurance contributions, wage inflation, rising gambling taxes and macroeconomic uncertainty. 'These are well-run sites with dedicated staff, but the current fiscal and regulatory environment makes it impossible to continue operating them,' Whittaker said. After restructuring, Betfred will operate around 1,100 shops across the country.
The closure wave extends beyond Betfred. Entain, which owns Ladbrokes and Coral, shut 39 out of 100 Ladbrokes shops in Ireland in April — a third of the network and 226 jobs. In July Entain announced a global cut of 500 positions, though company representatives insisted it was part of long-term cost optimisation rather than a response to taxes. Evoke, the parent company of William Hill, directly linked the closure of 200 shops in April to tax pressure following the autumn budget.
The main blow came from tax changes in the autumn budget: a sharp rise in Remote Gaming Duty and a new online levy on sports betting, which takes effect in 2027. While the latter does not hit retail directly, the combined burden is forcing operators to trim their shop networks.
