Public Support Surfaces for Doubling Machine Games Duty on High-Street Venues

A recent report from the Social Market Foundation has drawn attention to polling data that reveals 43% of the public backing a proposal to double machine games duty on adult gaming centres and casinos, and the figures point to substantial additional revenue for the Treasury while highlighting a gap in how physical and remote gambling sectors have been treated so far. The thinktank's analysis focuses on raising the duty rate from its current 20% level to 40% for Category B £2 slot machines found in these physical locations, and it estimates the change could deliver between £275 million and £458 million in extra annual receipts on top of the existing £600 million already collected from this machine category. Those who've examined the modelling note that the proposal zeroes in on high-street operations such as adult gaming centres, which avoided the earlier increase applied to remote gaming duty, and observers point out that this differential treatment has left land-based venues operating under a lighter tax structure compared with their online counterparts.

Details of the Tax Adjustment Proposal

The Social Market Foundation report outlines how doubling machine games duty would apply specifically to machines in adult gaming centres and casinos, and it breaks down the projected revenue uplift by factoring in current machine numbers alongside average player expenditure patterns across these venues.

Data from the polling component shows consistent levels of support across different demographic groups, with the 43% figure emerging as the headline measure of public sentiment toward the tax rise, while the modelling section translates that policy shift into concrete pound amounts that range from the lower £275 million estimate to the higher £458 million projection depending on behavioural responses.

Revenue Projections and Current Collections

Current yields from Category B £2 slot machines stand at around £600 million per year, and the report's calculations layer the proposed duty increase on top of that baseline to arrive at the combined additional range, and researchers involved in the work emphasise that these numbers assume no major displacement of play to other gambling formats.

Figures reveal that physical venues have contributed steadily through machine games duty without facing the same rate adjustments that remote operators encountered previously, and this distinction forms a central part of the report's framing when it discusses why the adjustment targets high-street sites now.

Connection to Policy Discussions Involving Andy Burnham

The report surfaces in the context of potential future policy moves associated with Andy Burnham, and coverage of the findings links the tax proposal to broader conversations about fiscal measures that could affect land-based gambling in the coming period, particularly as July 2026 approaches and government priorities come into sharper focus.

Those tracking the issue note that the timing of the release, which occurred just before the end of June 2026, positions the data as an input into ongoing debates rather than a standalone recommendation, and the polling element adds a layer of public opinion data that policymakers may reference when weighing options.

How the Measure Targets Physical Venues

Adult gaming centres, sometimes referred to as slot sheds, along with traditional casinos on the high street, represent the main facilities that would see the duty rate change under the proposal, and the report contrasts this group with remote operators that already operate under the higher remote gaming duty framework introduced earlier.

Evidence presented in the document indicates that these physical locations escaped the previous tax adjustment applied to online platforms, and the current suggestion aims to bring machine games duty into closer alignment while generating the modelled revenue increase without extending the change to digital channels.

Conclusion

The Social Market Foundation's combination of polling and revenue modelling presents a clear picture of both public attitudes and fiscal outcomes tied to the suggested machine games duty adjustment, and the 43% support level alongside the £275 million to £458 million annual estimate provides concrete data points for those examining options around high-street gambling taxation.

With the report released in late June 2026 and its findings connected to discussions involving figures such as Andy Burnham, the details remain available for review through the original analysis and related coverage at the Guardian article on the topic, offering a focused snapshot of one specific policy idea under consideration.