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Rules and licensingEntain cuts four hundred jobs as tax warnings grow
Entain is cutting four hundred customer care roles while warning the government against a massive tax increase.
Written by the BettingEdgeHub desk, 16 September 2026
Entain is planning to cut around four hundred customer care jobs as the company warns that further gambling tax increases will hurt high street betting shops. The owner of Ladbrokes and Coral confirmed that about four hundred of its two thousand customer care roles face redundancy. These teams handle risk, payments, customer protection, and service delivery.
Stella David, the chief executive of Entain, stated the cuts are necessary to keep the business competitive and financially resilient. This announcement followed a warning sent to government leaders over proposals to raise machine games duty to forty percent. Current rates sit much lower, and the proposed increase could add one hundred million pounds a year to company costs.
High street betting under pressure
The retail betting sector faces severe pressure after several major operators announced shop closures across the country. Flutter recently reviewed up to one hundred shop closures, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. Evoke and Betfred also announced plans to shut significant numbers of high street shops earlier this year.
Research commissioned by the Betting and Gaming Council suggests that a forty percent duty rate could force thousands of shop closures and massive job losses nationwide. Industry leaders warned that heavier taxation pushes everyday customers toward unlicensed operators who operate outside normal consumer protections.
Punters may see fewer local betting shops on the high street as major operators struggle with rising taxes and operational costs.