Betting shop customers combine visits with wider high street spending

Nine in 10 UK betting shop customers combine their visits with shopping, spending or other local activities at least some of the time, according to new YouGov research publicised by Entain.

The survey of 1,475 UK adults found that 54% of betting shop customers do so on most or nearly every visit. Entain, which operates Ladbrokes and Coral, said the findings highlight bookmakers’ contribution to neighbouring businesses.

Local spending and community connections

The research also examined perceptions of betting shops’ place in local communities. Among those surveyed, 68% described them as an established high-street feature.  60% said they support local employment.

“We need to recognise the important contribution betting shops make to our economy and local communities alike.”- Bejay Patel, Entain’s managing director for the UK and Ireland.

The findings support Entain’s What’s at Stake campaign. This focuses on the employment and community connections associated with retail betting.

However, combining a betting shop visit with another activity does not establish how much additional spending the shop generates. Nor does it establish whether that spending would otherwise have happened.

The poll therefore offers evidence of linked visits. It isn’t a monetary estimate of bookmakers’ wider economic impact.

Tax decisions approach

The research arrives as operators and trade bodies intensify their lobbying ahead of the Autumn Budget on 28 October. Parliament has confirmed that date for the government’s next major tax and spending statement.

Machine Games Duty has become a central issue. Category B machines currently fall within the 20% standard rate, while campaigners have called for a higher rate to reflect the harms associated with those products.

The Social Market Foundation estimates that a 40% rate could generate between £275 million and £458 million in additional annual revenue. It argues that spending displaced from gambling could benefit other sectors.

Industry warns against further increases

The Betting and Gaming Council has opposed further increases, including a reported move from 20% to 25%. That would represent a five-percentage-point increase, rather than a 5% rise in the tax bill.

In a statement on 21 October, the BGC said businesses were already responding to higher taxation through changes to jobs and investment. It highlighted betting shop closures at Betfred and Flutter’s announcement that up to 1,400 jobs could be lost.

Chief executive Grainne Hurst warned that additional taxation could threaten employment, high streets and funding for British racing.

The competing arguments leave ministers weighing potential revenue and public-health benefits against operators’ warnings about closures and wider local consequences. Any change to Machine Games Duty remains unconfirmed ahead of the Budget.