Genting Casinos UK Faces Potential Closures from Machine Gaming Duty Hike
Paul Willcock, who serves as CEO of Genting Casinos UK, issued a direct warning through a CityAM opinion piece that doubling the Machine Gaming Duty from 20 percent to 40 percent would push 13 of the company's 32 United Kingdom casinos into unprofitable territory and render them unsustainable, which places roughly 850 jobs in immediate jeopardy.
The UK Treasury has the tax adjustment under active review for inclusion in the October budget, and this step follows an earlier increase applied to remote gaming duty, while Willcock together with findings from a Bacta industry survey contend that the change would damage future investment, strain local economies, and ultimately reduce overall revenue collected by the Treasury.
Details Behind the Proposed Duty Increase
The Machine Gaming Duty currently stands at 20 percent on land-based gaming machines, yet the planned adjustment would lift that rate to 40 percent across the sector, and Genting Casinos UK operates 32 venues that would face direct exposure to this shift with 13 locations already operating close to the profitability threshold according to internal assessments shared by the company.
Those 13 sites represent a significant portion of the operator's UK footprint, and the projected outcome includes not only reduced viability but also the potential loss of approximately 850 positions tied to casino operations, customer service, and maintenance roles that support daily activities at these locations.
Industry Survey Findings from Bacta
Bacta conducted a membership survey that examined the broader effects of such a tax rise, and the results indicate widespread concerns among land-based operators about reduced capacity for capital investment in venue upgrades along with negative ripple effects on surrounding local economies that depend on casino footfall and related spending.
The survey further highlights that diminished operator margins could lead to lower overall contributions to Treasury coffers over time because fewer viable venues would generate less taxable activity, and this perspective aligns with the arguments presented by Willcock in his published commentary.
Discussions around the duty adjustment gained momentum following the prior remote gaming duty changes, and as September 2026 draws to a close the Treasury continues to evaluate options ahead of the October budget announcement that will determine whether the 40 percent rate moves forward.
Potential Effects on Operations and Local Areas
Land-based casinos rely on gaming machines as a core revenue driver, and an increase of this magnitude would require operators such as Genting Casinos UK to reassess staffing levels, marketing budgets, and maintenance schedules across multiple sites, while the 13 affected venues would encounter the steepest challenges in maintaining positive cash flow.
Local economies around these casinos often benefit from employment opportunities and visitor spending that extends beyond the gaming floor itself, and the Bacta survey data suggests that widespread venue struggles could reduce those secondary economic contributions in affected regions.
Willcock's op-ed emphasized that the tax change arrives at a time when operators already navigate elevated costs from previous duty adjustments in the remote sector, and the combined pressure risks limiting expansion plans or refurbishment projects that would otherwise support long-term growth in the land-based market.
Context Within Broader Tax Policy Shifts
The Treasury's consideration of the Machine Gaming Duty rise forms part of ongoing efforts to balance fiscal requirements after the remote gaming duty increase took effect, and industry representatives including those from Bacta have submitted evidence showing how land-based venues differ in cost structure and customer base from their online counterparts.
Observers note that the 32 Genting Casinos UK properties vary in size and performance, yet the uniform application of a doubled duty rate would concentrate the heaviest impact on the lower-margin locations without accounting for those operational differences.
Figures shared in the Bacta survey and echoed by Willcock illustrate that sustained unprofitability at 13 sites could trigger a contraction in the company's UK presence, and this scenario would unfold against the backdrop of the October budget decision that sets the policy direction for the coming fiscal period.
Conclusion
The warning from Genting Casinos UK CEO Paul Willcock centers on concrete projections of 13 unprofitable venues and 850 jobs at risk if the Machine Gaming Duty doubles to 40 percent, and the Bacta survey supplies supporting data on investment and revenue implications that the Treasury will weigh before the October budget announcement. The single linked source provides additional context on these developments.