A toxic variant of anti-working-class snobbery isn’t what you would normally expect from a Labour government but that’s what Sir Keir Starmer’s administration is being accused of as an increase in MGD threatens Rank Group’s £60m investment programme in Britain’s city and towns and represents an attack on fun.
Higher gambling duties risk forcing the closure of bingo halls and casinos across the UK and would cost thousands of jobs, the head of one of Britain’s largest gaming groups has warned.
John O’Reilly, chief executive of Rank Group – the FTSE 250 operator behind Grosvenor Casinos and Mecca Bingo – said a significant tax increase could lead to the closure of up to a third of its casinos and an even higher proportion of bingo clubs if the Chancellor proceeds with what he described as a fiscal “raid on the industry.”
Such a move would result in around 2,500 roles being cut, roughly one-third of Rank’s 7,800-strong workforce, O’Reilly said in comments published on the Daily Mail website. He criticised what he called “snobbery and ill-informed posturing” around gambling, arguing the sector already delivers “a lorry load of tax revenues for the Exchequer.”
Industry figures believe any closures would disproportionately hit working-class communities, including areas being targeted by Reform.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has joined more than 100 Labour MPs urging higher duties on betting and gaming.
As speculation grows about the Government’s intentions chancellor Rachel Reeves recently signalled the direction of travel, saying: “I do think there is a case for gambling firms paying more. They should pay their fair share of taxes and we will make sure that happens.”
Rank, which operates 50 casinos and 50 bingo venues across the UK, is particularly concerned about reported proposals to raise MGD from 20 percent to 25 percent. O’Reilly warned such an increase “would likely see us having to shut a third of our casinos and an even higher proportion of our bingo clubs.” That could mean 15 to 20 Grosvenor sites and around 20 Mecca bingo halls closing.
O’Reilly stressed that the sector is misunderstood, noting: “For too long, snobbery and ill-informed posturing have permeated the discussion around the gambling industry. It would slam the brakes on the £60 million of investment that Rank has planned for towns and cities across Britain.”
He argued that heavier taxation would benefit unregulated operators: “In their haste to impose crippling tax rises on the regulated sector, they play straight into the hands of illegal operators” He added: “If the Chancellor raises gambling taxes, the rounds of applause will come from those illegal operators who pay no tax.”
The average spend on slot machines in Rank’s bingo clubs is just £13 per visit, he said, adding that increasing taxes could destroy venues that act as a vital social hub stating: “Britain should be proud of our bingo clubs, not looking to tax them into extinction.”
O’Reilly urged the Chancellor to support a “pro-business environment” rather than “a doom-loop of club closures and job losses.”
Pride and prejudice
John O’Reilly said……. “Britain should be proud of our bingo clubs, not looking to tax them into extinction……
Originally published on Coinslot on November 24, 2025. Republished with permission.