Thinktank Findings Highlight Backing for Increased Levies on High-Street Gaming Venues

The Social Market Foundation released findings from its report along with accompanying polling data that show 43 percent of the public supports raising taxes specifically on adult gaming centres and casinos. This backing centres on a plan to double the machine games duty rate from its current 20 percent level to 40 percent, and the measure would apply to physical high-street locations that avoided earlier increases applied to remote operators.

Details of the Proposed Duty Adjustment

Current collections from Category B £2 slot machines stand at around £600 million each year, and the suggested change could add between £275 million and £458 million annually according to modelling included in the thinktank work. The adjustment targets land-based venues such as adult gaming centres often referred to as slot sheds along with traditional casinos, and the approach leaves online platforms untouched because those sites already faced a separate duty increase in prior years.

Researchers at teh Social Market Foundation compiled the polling numbers during the period leading up to the report release, and the 43 percent figure reflects responses from a representative sample that weighed the revenue potential against existing tax structures. The extra funds would flow directly from the higher rate applied to machine games duty, and the projections account for variations in player volumes across different regions.

Focus on Physical Venues and Revenue Projections

Adult gaming centres and casinos operate under rules that differ from remote gambling platforms, which means the duty hike would concentrate on bricks-and-mortar sites that escaped the previous remote gaming duty adjustments. Data within the report breaks down how the doubled rate could generate the stated range of additional income while maintaining the existing £600 million baseline from Category B machines, and the calculations incorporate both optimistic and conservative estimates of machine usage.

Those who reviewed the polling responses noted that support reached 43 percent when questions framed the change as a way to balance tax treatment between online and offline operators. The report also connects the proposal to broader discussions about fiscal policy in the gambling sector, and it highlights how high-street venues have maintained their current duty level despite shifts elsewhere in the industry.

Links to Future Policy Considerations

The Social Market Foundation document ties the tax adjustment idea to potential moves by figures such as Andy Burnham, and the polling data provides context for how public opinion might influence decisions around gambling taxation in the coming months. Reports indicate that discussions around these changes gained attention during late June 2026, which sets the stage for further examination as July 2026 progresses and policymakers review the figures.

Evidence presented in the thinktank materials shows the revenue uplift would come solely from the machine games duty increase applied to land-based machines, and the range of £275 million to £458 million reflects different scenarios for compliance and player behaviour. Observers note that the proposal avoids any direct impact on remote gaming because that segment already operates under the higher duty framework introduced earlier.

Breakdown of Public Opinion Data

Polling conducted alongside the main report captured responses that produced the 43 percent support level for doubling the duty, and the questions focused explicitly on adult gaming centres plus casinos rather than broader tax measures. The findings reveal consistent backing when respondents considered the revenue generation aspect alongside the current £600 million annual take from Category B £2 slots.

Further analysis in the document compares the proposed 40 percent rate against the existing 20 percent structure, and it outlines how the change would apply uniformly across qualifying physical venues without altering rules for online platforms. Those examining the data can see that the additional income projections rest on established collection patterns while accounting for possible shifts in machine operation volumes.

Conclusion

The Social Market Foundation report supplies concrete numbers on public support and revenue potential for the machine games duty adjustment, and the 43 percent figure along with the £275 million to £458 million estimates provide specific benchmarks for ongoing conversations. The focus remains on physical high-street venues that have operated under the prior 20 percent rate, and the connections drawn to policy figures like Andy Burnham place the findings within wider discussions expected to continue into July 2026. Data from the polling and modelling continues to inform how such tax changes might unfold for adult gaming centres and casinos across the United Kingdom.