Will a recent tax increase make online gambling untenable in the UK?
The backlash to the UK government’s shock move to raise online gambling taxes to unprecedented levels has already begun, with gambling giants Flutter Entertainment (NYSE: FLUT) and Entain (LSE: ENT) at the center of the storm.
Following earlier pre-budget warnings, the revelation that the UK would raise its gambling taxes to some of the highest levels in the world sent stocks tumbling.
In response, Flutter — owner of FanDuel and Paddy Power — and Entain, Ladbrokes’ parent company, and MGM’s (NYSE: MGM) joint-venture partner in BetMGM, were the first to warn of the likely impacts the chancellor’s decision will now have on the industry.
Gambling sector claims UK government is shooting itself in the foot
Despite both Flutter and Entain’s stocks rebounding by the end of the week — a likely scenario being that investors were confident the firms’ multinational operations portfolio would be able to neutralize the UK operational deficit — Flutter still warned that a 40% duty on remote gaming could strip $540 million from its 2027 EBITDA.
Mirroring these claims, Entain said it faces a £200 million annualized impact from the UK’s tax hike, which would inevitably lead to massive cuts to its workforce, alongside additional reductions in its marketing and gambling promotions having to be made.
It wasn’t just the titans of the UK crying foul, as across the sector, firms warned that the looming threat of a 40% rate would accelerate a shift in consumers heading to illegal offshore operators who pay no tax at all.
Not only will this stymie the burgeoning UK gambling market, but it will, in turn, weaken the enforcement of consumer protections while also drastically reducing the government’s own tax revenues.
U.S. gambling industry bracing for copycat moves
Nevertheless, stocks in another high-profile player in the UK market, Evoke (LSE: EVOK), the owner of William Hill, have not fared so well, having continued to decay since Wednesday’s announcement after forecasting annual duty cost increases of £125–135 million, of which £80 million would hit in 2026.
Financial Impact of UK Betting Taxes on Operators
| Operator | Tax Changes (UK | Estimated Impact | Mitigation / Net Impact |
| Flutter | iGaming up 21% to 40%, Sports Betting (ex-HR) up 15% to 25% | $320m FY26, $540m FY27 | ~27–37% first-order mitigation; net impact $235m (FY26), $339m (FY27); potential second-order mitigation |
| Entain | Remote Gaming Duty up 21% to 40%, Online Sports Betting up 25% | £100m FY26, £150m FY27 | ~25% mitigation via marketing/promotions; net impact ongoing |
| Evoke | Remote Gaming Duty up 21% to 40%, Online Sports Betting up 15% to 25% | £80m FY26 pre-mitigation; £125–135m annualized FY27 | ~50% medium-term mitigation via cost savings; expected job losses and black-market growth |
The firm also withdrew its medium-term targets, stating it was rolling out an emergency mitigation strategy, which included reducing investment and potentially cutting its UK workforce with immediate effect.
However, the fact that the larger operators are resorting to these extreme measures paints a dire picture for smaller operators who are unlikely to survive the excessive tax duties proposed.
From a U.S. investor’s perspective, the wild turbulence seen in the UK this week is perhaps an uncomfortable reminder that sudden regulatory policy shifts can derail a gaming firm’s valuation overnight. Still, the post-announcement recovery – at least for Flutter and Entain – signifies that maintaining a diverse international portfolio still can offer some form of security.
No doubt U.S. regulators will be monitoring to see how the sizable UK industry copes in the wake of these changes, as it may just have a bearing on their own future legislative strategies.
