Just six months later, it has taken much of that support back through a 25% increase to MGD. Businesses cannot plan for growth when policy changes so dramatically from one Budget to the next.
The Chancellor’s decision to raise Machine Games Duty (MGD) from 20% to 25%, a 25% rise in the rate clubs pay, is a serious blow to bingo and the communities that rely on their local club.
In April, the Government abolished Bingo Duty so that clubs could invest and survive. Today it has taken much of that back, with our modelling, previously shared with Government ahead of the Budget, showing loss-making clubs rising to 77.
The first casualty will be investment. The £50 million operators committed to clubs this year, outside London and the South East, will fall away, and clubs will close. This goes directly against the Government’s commitment to growth in every postcode, and clubs in the Midlands and the North will be hit hardest.
Today shows why clubs struggle to plan ahead. Every Budget, land-based gambling is put up as an easy source of revenue in a way no other part of leisure or hospitality is, and that uncertainty makes long-term investment impossible. The Government needs to set out a clear, long-term position on gambling taxation that recognises the economic contribution of land-based venues.
Clubs tackle social isolation and loneliness, particularly for older customers. We will work through the impact with our members, and we urge the Government to work with us to protect the clubs, jobs and communities now at risk.
Originally published on Coinslot on November 2, 2026. Republished with permission.