SMF Report Outlines Public Support for Doubling Machine Games Duty on High-Street Gambling Sites
The Social Market Foundation released findings from its recent polling and economic modelling on Monday showing 43% of the public backs an increase in machine games duty applied to adult gaming centres and casinos. This proposal involves raising the rate from 20% to 40% on Category B £2 slot machines located in physical venues and the modelling projects additional annual revenue between £275 million and £458 million layered on top of the existing £600 million collected from these machines. The report focuses specifically on high-street locations that avoided the duty adjustments previously applied to remote gambling operators.
Details from the Polling and Revenue Projections
Data collected through the SMF survey indicates that support for the tax adjustment stands at 43% among respondents while the economic analysis estimates the potential uplift in government receipts. Those figures come from modelling that accounts for current duty collections and the impact of the proposed rate change on land-based machine operations. The report positions this adjustment as a way to align taxation more closely across different gambling formats since online operators faced duty increases earlier.
Current collections from Category B £2 slot machines total £600 million each year and the proposed doubling of the duty rate targets the physical machines that remain in adult gaming centres along with casinos. The additional revenue range of £275 million to £458 million reflects variations in assumptions about player volumes and venue responses according to the modelling included in the document. Observers note that the figures provide a basis for considering how such a change might affect overall gambling taxation without extending to remote platforms.
Focus on Physical Venues and Policy Context
The proposal concentrates on high-street gambling sites including adult gaming centres often referred to as slot sheds and traditional casinos that operate machine games. These locations escaped the earlier remote gaming duty hike which means the suggested increase would apply only to in-person machine play. The report highlights this distinction as a key element in its recommendations for adjusting machine games duty.
Connections appear in the report to potential future policy directions associated with Andy Burnham and discussions around gambling taxation continue into July 2026 as local and national figures review options for revenue generation. The SMF document outlines how the change could generate funds while applying specifically to the venues that have not yet seen equivalent adjustments.
Economic Modelling and Industry Scope
The modelling within the SMF report examines how doubling the duty rate from 20% to 40% would translate into additional collections based on existing machine numbers and usage patterns across adult gaming centres and casinos. Those calculations produce the projected range and take into account the current £600 million baseline from Category B machines. Data shows the adjustment would affect only physical high-street operations rather than online gambling activities.
Venues covered include the network of adult gaming centres that house multiple slot machines along with casino floors where similar Category B machines operate. The report presents these sites as the primary targets for the proposed duty increase since they represent the segment that did not receive parallel tax treatment during prior reforms. Figures reveal that the resulting revenue could reach between £275 million and £458 million annually depending on the precise parameters applied in each scenario.
Public Opinion Data and Report Release
Polling conducted for the SMF indicates 43% support for the tax rise among the surveyed public and the results form part of a broader examination of gambling taxation options. The release occurred on the Monday prior to coverage in major outlets and the document includes both the survey responses and the detailed revenue projections. Those elements combine to present a case for adjusting machine games duty on the specified land-based venues.
Research indicates the public response varies across different demographic groups though the overall figure of 43% provides the headline measure of backing for the measure. The report ties this support level to the potential for increased government income while maintaining teh focus on physical machine operations in high-street settings. According to the published analysis the change would build upon existing collections without overlapping with duties already raised on remote gambling.
Conclusion
The SMF thinktank report delivers specific polling results alongside revenue estimates that centre on a proposed increase in machine games duty for adult gaming centres and casinos. With 43% public support identified and additional annual funds projected between £275 million and £458 million the document outlines a targeted approach to taxation on physical high-street venues. The modelling remains limited to Category B £2 slot machines and connects to ongoing policy considerations linked to figures such as Andy Burnham as July 2026 progresses.