Betfred to Close 132 UK Shops as Gambling Taxes and Costs Bite

Betfred has announced plans to close 132 betting shops across the United Kingdom, a reduction of just over 10% of its retail network that is expected to result in approximately 600 job losses. The company confirmed that it has begun a consultation process with affected employees. Once the proposed closures are completed, Betfred expects to operate about 1,094 shops and employ around 6,800 people in the UK.

The move is one of the largest single cuts to a British bookmaker’s high-street presence in recent years. Betfred’s UK retail estate peaked at 1,680 locations in 2017, and the latest plan would take it well below that level. The announcement is also the clearest public sign yet that the company sees rising gambling taxes and higher employment costs as a permanent threat to its physical shop model.

The numbers behind the closure plan

The key figures in the announcement are straightforward, although the company has not yet given a store-by-store list.

Betfred said the affected sites are spread across its UK estate. It has not confirmed which towns or cities will lose a shop, and that detail is likely to emerge during the employee consultation period.

Why Betfred says it is closing stores

In a statement cited by Sky News, Betfred chief executive Jo Whittaker said the decision followed years of trying to protect all of its locations.

Whittaker said: “It is with deep regret that we have today started a consultation with colleagues working in more than 130 of our shops regarding a proposal to close those locations. We have tried hard to protect all our sites and the colleagues who work in them, but the combined impact of higher employer National Insurance contributions, wage inflation, increases in gambling taxes and wider economic uncertainty has left us with no choice.”

She added: “Our priority now is to support the colleagues affected, and to continue serving customers and communities across the rest of our estate.”

The announcement also follows a warning from Betfred co-founder and chairman Fred Done in late 2025. At the time, he said continued increases in gambling taxes could ultimately threaten the viability of the company’s entire UK shop network. The current closure plan stops well short of that, but it shows the direction of travel.

Tax changes reshape the economics of gambling

The closures come after significant changes to UK gambling taxation introduced following last year’s budget measures. Remote gaming duty increased from 21% to 40% on 1 April 2026. A new 25% general betting duty rate is scheduled to take effect next year, with exclusions for self-service betting terminals, spread betting, pool betting and horse racing. Separate reports also noted the introduction of a 25% online sports betting duty from 2027 covering sports other than horse racing.

These taxes do not apply in the same way to every form of gaming. The remote gaming duty rise affects online casino and gaming revenue, while the general betting duty is aimed at traditional betting. For retail operators such as Betfred, however, the cumulative effect is what matters: lower margins, higher staffing costs, and less room to keep marginally profitable shops open.

Other bookmakers are making similar cuts

Betfred is not alone in reducing its physical presence. Several major competitors have taken similar steps over the past year as operating costs have increased.

Earlier this month, Entain reduced its workforce by approximately 500 employees, representing around 2% of its total staff. The company had previously warned that higher taxes could affect investment decisions and potentially lead to shop closures across its estate of roughly 2,300 betting outlets. Evoke, the owner of William Hill and 888, has also closed betting shops, saying in January that it had acted quickly to offset budget-related tax changes through cost reductions and store closures. Flutter Entertainment’s Paddy Power announced in October that it would close 57 betting shops across the UK and Ireland, placing around 250 jobs at risk.

The pattern points to a broader squeeze on land-based gambling retail, not a problem unique to Betfred.

What this means for video poker players

For players of machine-based casino games, the practical impact of this announcement is indirect. Betfred’s UK betting shops are not a common venue for video poker, which is more likely to be found in licensed casinos and dedicated gaming rooms than on a British high street. The closures will not, by themselves, remove video poker machines from any notable market.

The wider context remains relevant. Higher gambling taxes and employment costs make all physical gaming venues more expensive to run, including casinos and other locations where video poker is actually available. The fact that the new general betting duty specifically excludes self-service betting terminals also shows that regulators and tax authorities are drawing distinctions between different types of machines. Players who follow video poker should watch how these tax changes evolve