MAKERFIELD BACKS ITS BOOKIES AS PROPOSED TAX RISE THREATENS HIGH STREET JOBS

Opinium polling in Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s own constituency finds more than half of residents say betting shops contribute to community life, as BGC warns a 40% Machine Games Duty rate could close nearly 1,500 shops.

Betting shops remain an important part of life in Makerfield, with new polling showing local people value their presence on the high street and are concerned about the impact when businesses are forced to close.

New polling by Opinium found 54 per cent of residents say betting shops contribute to local community life, including 51 per cent of Labour voters and 59 per cent of Reform voters.

The traditional high street bookie remains important to local punters too.

More than one in four Makerfield adults, 26 per cent, had placed a sports or racing bet in the previous 12 months. Of those, 54 per cent had bet in person at a bookmaker, while 66 per cent had bet online.

And the impact of businesses disappearing from local high streets matters to people in Makerfield.

Asked about local businesses generally, job losses were the most frequently selected concern if higher costs forced businesses to close, cited by 34 per cent of residents and 40 per cent of Labour voters.

Another 23 per cent selected empty high-street shops.

The findings come as the Betting and Gaming Council steps up its warning over a possible rise in Machine Games Duty.

EY modelling cited by the BGC shows a 40 per cent MGD rate could mean up to 1,470 betting shop closures, 34 casino closures and almost 16,000 job losses, while leaving the Treasury up to £124 million worse off.

Grainne Hurst, CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “Makerfield tells a very human story about what betting shops mean to communities across Britain.

“These are not just businesses on a spreadsheet. They are places where local people work, where customers choose to spend their money and which help keep our high streets busy.

“When a betting shop closes, someone loses their job, another set of shutters comes down and another hole is left in the high street.

“The Prime Minister has said policies should face a ‘Makerfield test’ that if they don’t work for people here and don’t lift them up, they shouldn’t happen at all.

“The Prime Minister only has to look at his own constituency to see why that matters. People in Makerfield recognise the role betting shops play in community life and they are concerned about the jobs and empty units left behind when local businesses disappear.

“The Chancellor knows the sector and his local betting shops well, having visited them over a number of years through our Grand National Charity Bet. He understands the jobs they provide and the role they play in their communities.”

“With EY warning that a sharp rise in Machine Games Duty could close hundreds more betting shops and cost thousands of jobs, further tax rises risk inflicting exactly the kind of damage communities like Makerfield are worried about and raise serious questions about whether such a policy would pass the Prime Minister’s own Makerfield test.

“The Chancellor will want to take this evidence into account as he considers the impact further tax rises could have on high street businesses, jobs and communities across the country.”