Thursday 24 September 2026 5:56 am  |  Updated:  Wednesday 23 September 2026 12:57 pm

You can’t tax a casino if it’s closed

By: Paul Willcock

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Modern casinos are regulated entertainment destinations that invest in city centres, support skilled local careers and strengthen Britain’s visitor and night-time economy. Tax policy should recognise their full contribution, says Paul Willcock

Politicians of every party say they want businesses to invest in Britain, regenerate city centres, create good jobs and attract overseas visitors. Genting is doing exactly that, from Manchester to the West End. Yet a proposal to double the tax on gaming machines from 20 to 40 per cent would pull in the opposite direction. It would discourage investment, put jobs at risk and could leave the Treasury with less revenue, not more.

The debate should not be framed simply as a dispute about one gambling tax. It raises a broader question: what kind of leisure, visitor and night-time economy does Britain want? If government wants private capital, thriving city centres, skilled local employment and sustainable tax revenues, it must consider the whole contribution made by modern land-based casinos.

A modern casino is not simply a room of machines. It is a people-intensive entertainment destination combining hospitality, food and drink, live gaming, entertainment and socialising. It sits within the same experience economy as restaurants, hotels, theatres, pubs and other leisure venues. Gaming is central to the business, but it does not define the whole institution.

Transforming the Trocadero

Our plans for the London Trocadero embody that proposition. We are planning a £50m transformation of an underused part of this Grade II-listed entertainment landmark. Across 37,000 sq ft and three floors, the development would combine a casino with food, drink and........

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