Britain’s online casino operators paid their first full quarter of duty at the new rate this summer, and the effect is now showing up in company filings rather than in forecasts. Groups with heavy UK exposure are reporting shrinking online revenue at home. The same groups are reporting growth in France and the Nordics. The squeeze on margins arrived as predicted. What was less obvious a year ago is how quickly the industry would move its spending somewhere else.
The change took effect on 1 April. Remote Gaming Duty, which covers online slots and casino games, rose from 21% to 40% of an operator’s profits from British players.
