High street ‘slot farms’ could evade budget tax rise through bingo hall loophole
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>Hundreds of adult gaming centres in England have bingo licences that still qualify them for discounted business rates</p><p>Hundreds of high street “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/29/inside-the-slot-farms-targeted-in-budget-gambling">slot farms</a>” could continue claiming a discount on their business rates, unless the government closes a loophole that allows them to pose as bingo halls.</p><p>John Healey singled out adult gaming centres (AGCs) in his first budget this week, in which he increased duty on slot machine takings from 20% to 25%, claiming he was “raising taxes on gambling to support good growth on every high street”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/nov/01/high-street-slot-farms-budget-tax-rise-business-rates-bingo-licence-loophole">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
Hundreds of adult gaming centres in England have bingo licences that still qualify them for discounted business ratesHundreds of high street “slot farms” could continue claiming a discount on their business rates, unless the government closes a loophole that allows them to pose as bingo halls.John Healey singled out adult gaming centres (AGCs) in his first budget this week, in which he increased duty on slot machine takings from 20% to 25%, claiming he was “raising taxes on gambling to support good growth on every high street”. Continue reading...
Curation & Context
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