Chancellor Confirms Machine Games Duty Will Rise to 25%

The Chancellor has confirmed that Machine Games Duty (MGD) will increase by five percentage points to 25%, settling weeks of speculation that the duty on gaming machines could be doubled to 40%. The decision, announced today in the Budget, provides a degree of certainty for operators of betting shops, bingo halls, and land-based casinos, many of whom had warned that a more severe increase would threaten jobs and venue viability.