Betfred to close 133 high-street shops, putting up to 600 jobs at risk

Betfred has begun consulting on plans to close 133 of its UK betting shops, roughly 10% of its 1,200-strong retail estate. The proposal, first reported by Sky News, puts up to 600 jobs at risk and was blamed by CEO Jo Whittaker on a combination of gambling tax rises, higher employer National Insurance contributions, wage inflation and economic uncertainty.

Whittaker said the company had tried to protect all its sites but could no longer keep every shop trading. "It is with deep regret that we have today started a consultation with colleagues," he added. He described the affected branches as well-run and staffed by dedicated colleagues, but said the current fiscal and regulatory environment had left the company no choice.

Betfred had flagged these pressures before. In an interview with SBC News last year, shortly before then-Chancellor Rachel Reeves' November Budget, Whittaker warned that National Insurance contributions and minimum wage rises were weighing on retail operators even before new tax measures arrived. The Budget went on to raise Remote Gambling Duty on online gross gambling revenue from 21% to 40% from 1 April 2026. While that duty applies only to online revenue, Betfred also runs online casino operations, making closure of weaker-performing shops a more rational cost-saving step.

The announcement comes against a backdrop of long-running decline on the UK high street. Gambling Commission gross gaming yield data has shown retail struggling for some time, and Betfred's decision is unlikely to surprise those who have followed the sector since the pandemic.

Other major UK bookmakers have taken similar action this year. Flutter Entertainment's Paddy Power and evoke's William Hill have both cut jobs and closed shops, while Entain has shut Ladbrokes branches in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with each citing Budget-related pressure.

Looking ahead, the sector faces further uncertainty over business rates, with questions remaining over whether any increase would be limited to adult gaming centres or also cover betting shops. Although retail betting avoided direct tax rises in last November's Budget, Betfred's move underscores the negative outlook for both the high-street betting sector and the wider UK gambling market in 2026.