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    Betfred says all its shops may close if Reeves hikes gambling tax
    United Kingdom

    Betfred says all its shops may close if Reeves hikes gambling tax

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    42 Comments

    1. Electricbell20 on

      Imagine if the government turned around and said they would use the tax and open gambling addiction services in every store front betfred shut.

    3. do_or_pie on

      > The billionaire businessman said tax rises were the “biggest threat” to the industry in his 57 years. It echoes similar warnings from other gambling brands.

      As his wealth has risen, the UK’s wealthiest 10% has also grown and is estimated to hold around half of all wealth of the UK, so maybe a guy whose personal wealth is derived from an industry which causes poverty, hardship, and in some cases premature death can absolutely go fuck himself when the country needs investment and his industry is ripe for a bit of curtailing of its profits.

    5. After-Dentist-2480 on

      Is this a bad thing?

      Unfortunate for those working there, but do these places enhance our High Streets?

    6. SquireBeef on

      Good. Gambling shouldn’t be as profitable as it is given the damage it does.

      Also, isn’t it about time gambling adverts were banned? 

    7. legrenabeach on

      Boo hoo rich business owner complains he gets gets keep a few less millions than what he does now.

    9. ZanzibarGuy on

      I mean, good? But I also suspect that they would prefer to make less money because of higher taxes than no money because they choose to close all of its shops.

    10. High-Tom-Titty on

      Online gambling is experiencing a 7% year on year increase, I’m not sure how long they have anyway. Similar thing is happening in Vegas, plus it’s so much more expensive now to try and make up for it. $45 for a breakfast buffet, and no comped drinks if you gamble.

    12. Megafiend on

      This would be great. Half the highstreet in my town centre is petting shops vape and barbers, this would deal with partner of the problem 

    16. Vaxtez on

      ‘Oh no! Anyway…’

      I’d feel for the staff losing their jobs, but betting companies are scourges, so no sympathy to Betfred & co.

    17. MattKatt on

      I worked for Betfred many years ago – one year we all got a letter saying that due to economic downturn, we would not be receiving any Christmas bonuses that year or any going forward.

      2 months later, Fred bought himself a helicopter

      Fuck Fred Done

    18. DeadandForgoten on

      The consequences to society if the gambling industry crashed? Almost entirely beneficial.

      Only negative is the unemployment of the staff, temporarily.

    20. Brave_Ring_1136 on

      Good, you can’t watch a 5min YouTube video without being bombarded with gambling ads it practically harassment

    21. Cowsudders on

      Man worth £3 Billion complains about tax rises slowing his progress through taking money from the poor and addicted in order to reach £4 billion.

    23. Pocktio on

      Boss who makes a shedload of money mad he may make a bit less money. Threatens working peoples employment to maintain status quo.

      Cool story.

    24. MulberryVegetable594 on

      They wouldn’t have the balls haha, they make far too much cash luring folk in with the lights and drinks, toilets, etc. It’s just a bluff from multi millionaire cunts to try and let them wealth hoard more.

    25. Underscore_Blues on

      He’s a multi-billionaire. Maybe if he didn’t extract all the money out of his business there would be enough left to cover costs….

    26. TheBrassDancer on

      Sounds like a good thing to me. Betfred and all of the other betting shops are a fucking blight.

    27. Cueball61 on

      Nice bluff.

      Gambling tax is on profit, you’re either profitable or you’re not… you can’t make a business unprofitable by taxing profits. This is just abusing people’s lack of understanding of taxation.

    28. Best-Hovercraft-5494 on

      Delusional interview with this chap on the radio this am – “our shops provide a public services and place for the elderly to meet. our staff and customers have real camaraderie”….

    29. NLF7 on

      For the amount of profit they make and the amount they put back into the economy, we’d be better off without all betting shops and become very strict on gambling. I like to bet on the football just for entertainment purposes never to make any money, but it becomes so tempting to just have another go if you lose.

      They also make parts of town centres shitholes as they often look rundown and do nothing for any sort of atmosphere.

    30. MsAndrea on

      I used to work in gaming years ago, and the older I have got the more ashamed I am of that. People gamble more the poorer that they are, because they are willing to risk everything to not be poor anymore. And it all just makes people like him richer, and gives people almost nothing. Now I work with people with debt problems, and the number of people who have issues directly related to it is just heart-breaking. 

    32. GreyScope on

      Performative bullshitting and “you’re saying something as if it’s a bad thing” at the same time

    33. matdevine21 on

      I’d take that bet that they wouldn’t.

      The gambling set up is legit crocked and weighted so heavily in the favour of the bookies with their own regulator being ran by the betting company owners.

      Bookies can refuse valid bets even demanding access to your bank account to check if your a good gambler to refuse payment.

      The entire industry is rigged and so deeply entrenched within sports that to remove them would cripple many teams

    34. JonRoberts87 on

      Wouldnt be a bad thing. Gambling addiction is a hard thing.

      I remember a few years back, being stuck in traffic and watching this guy step out of one bookies (a betfred incidentally) and walk right across the road into a William Hill bookies.

      It was like 9am as well.

    35. davinist on

      “In its most recent annual results, Betfred took in nearly £1bn of revenue, but made an operating profit of just £500,000 after a series of writedowns on its assets.”

      Sure… writedowns, not tax evasion, writedowns.

      Getting rich out of other people’s weaknesses.

    36. eponners on

      Nah, this doesn’t go nearly far enough. The government should completely outlaw this industry and confiscate all assets of any gambling company based in the UK. Freeze their accounts, liquidate all assets, return this evil to the ground and distribute the spoils to where it’s necessary. These companies made billions this year. Next year they should make zero.

    37. Material-Bee-907 on

      The inevitability of gambling shops closing may be brought forward by tax hikes……but the ‘High Steet’ isn’t exactly made better by their presence

    38. sheslikebutter on

      If a business says “may” it’s an empty threat.

      I may shit my pants and smear it on the wall tomorrow if everyone in this thread doesn’t reply “I respect and enjoyed this comment”. But, I may not. Logically I probably won’t because nothings making me do it and it’s kind of a really annoying thing to arrange and do

    39. Additional_Pickle_59 on

      How tone deaf can you be?! Bringing this up with the BBC knowing full well your industry is a plague.

      Nothing of value was lost this day

    40. Hal_Industries on

      Good….maybe we can also get a ban on the incessant gambling ads while we’re at it

    42. SatchSaysPlay on

      Good,, gambling ruins people’s lives and not just the gambler themselves, the fewer opportunities people get to partake in it is a win win for everyone