A mooted plan to increase tax on slot machines would imperil investment in the sector worth hundreds of millions of pounds and undermine attempts to turn Leicester Square into a global casino hotspot, a host of industry operators have warned.
Rachel Reeves is reported to be looking at raising machine games duty from 20 per cent to 25 per cent as she attempts to raise revenue in the forthcoming budget. In September she said the industry should pay its “fair share” of tax.
The proposal has baffled casino owners, who just this summer were fêted by the gambling minister, Baroness Twycross, for their contribution to jobs, tax revenues and the night-time economy, alongside a modernization of regulations which, for instance, allowed for sports betting to take place within land-based casinos.
