Bookies in last-ditch plea to avert budget tax bombshell

Britain’s leading bookmakers are ramping up their efforts to prevent a potential tax increase that could significantly impact their businesses. From April this year, remote gaming duty levied on online casino games increased from 21% to 40%. John Healey has been urged to rule out a Budget tax raid on gambling amid warnings it will cost thousands of jobs – with women and the young in the firing line. The Chancellor is considering doubling machine games duty (MGD) the tax levied on slot machines to 40 per cent in the Budget on October 28.