Listen to this article:UK gambling trade bodies have been urged to work more closely together as the industry faces the possibility of another round of tax increases.
Richard Bradley, Gambling Lead Solicitor at Poppleston Allen, believes organisations including the Betting and Gaming Council, Bacta(The Amusement and Gaming Association) and the Bingo Association should look for areas where they can work together. His comments come as another increase in General Betting Duty is due next April and there are reports that Machine Games Duty could also rise.
For UK bingo sites and their operators, the possibility of higher Machine Games Duty is particularly important, as gaming machines have become a major source of revenue for many clubs.
Bradley believes that the different parts of the gambling industry do not need to agree on every issue, but there are clear benefits from industry unity on areas that affect them all.
Rather than different organisations producing their own figures and arguments, he would like to see more evidence brought together to show how tax rises, employment costs and other policy changes affect the industry as a whole.
Speaking recently, he said that trade bodies should “identify areas where the industry can speak collectively”.
It is of particular importance at the moment as different gambling sectors are facing many of the same pressures. While bingo clubs, betting shops, casinos and adult gaming centres all operate differently, they face many of the same risks if taxes rise. Areas such as investment, employment and the commercial viability of individual venues would all be affected.
Bradley said the aim should not simply be to make the industry’s argument louder, but to make it clearer and better supported by evidence.
The latest calls for a united approach come after a major increase in Remote Gaming Duty earlier this year. The tax on remote gaming increased from 21% to 40% in April, after changes were announced in the 2025 Autumn Budget. Another increase in General Betting Duty is already due to come into effect next April.
Attention has now turned to Machine Games Duty.
Chancellor John Healey has been reported to be considering an increase, although no final decision has been announced. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has also spoken about reducing the number of betting shops on British high streets.
Any change to Machine Games Duty would likely hit bingo operators as the tax applies to machines in bingo clubs as well as those in other gambling venues.
Bradley also believes the industry needs to be careful about how it argues against further tax increases.
UK bingo trade bodies have regularly warned that additional costs could lead to venue closures, job losses and customers moving towards unlicensed gambling. However, Bradley believes that repeatedly using headline figures can sometimes distract from the broader argument.
He said it is important that the industry uses “robust, accurate figures” and properly explains what sits behind them. Rather than suggesting that every betting shop, bingo club or casino is immediately at risk, he believes the more persuasive argument is that further costs will make an already difficult operating environment even harder, particularly for smaller businesses.
Arguing this way is likely to be more relevant to bingo. Not every club will suddenly become unviable because of one tax increase, but many venues already operate on very narrow margins and have faced higher wage, energy and property costs over recent years. If several additional costs arrive simultaneously, operators may have less money available for refurbishments, new equipment or other investment.
Bradley specifically mentioned the Bingo Association when calling for greater cooperation, and his encouragement comes at an important time for the land-based bingo industry. Bingo Duty was abolished in April 2026, which gave operators an opportunity to invest more heavily in their clubs, and the Association says more than £50 million is being spent on venues this year.
However, it has also warned that increasing Machine Games Duty could undo many of those benefits.
Bradley believes that when government decisions affect taxation, employment, investment and the future of high-street venues simultaneously, it makes sense to look at the combined effect rather than treating each change as an individual issue.
He also spoke about cooperation between gambling trade bodies elsewhere in Europe, including the creation of the Balkan Gaming Federation earlier this year, as an example of organisations joining forces where they share common interests.
There is no escaping that there are differences between bingo, betting, casinos and other parts of the gambling industry, and that the individual trade bodies will naturally have their own priorities. However, with further tax changes potentially on the way, Bradley believes there are some issues where presenting one clear, evidence-based argument may give the industry a more impactful voice.
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