Flutter Entertainment Announces Closure of Up to 100 Betting Shops Across UK and Ireland

Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of Paddy Power, has confirmed plans to close as many as 100 betting shops in the UK and Ireland by the end of the year, a step that affects roughly one fifth of its 506-shop portfolio and places approximately 400 jobs at risk according to the company statement.

The announcement comes amid a series of similar decisions by other major operators including Betfred, William Hill under Evoke, and Entain which operates Ladbrokes Coral, all responding to the same set of pressures that include elevated gambling taxes introduced in the Autumn Budget 2025.

Details of the Planned Closures

Flutter Entertainment outlined that the reductions target underperforming locations where footfall has declined steadily, while the company continues to maintain its remaining shops in areas that still generate sufficient revenue, and the process is scheduled for completion before December 31 of the current year.

Observers note that the 506-shop estate has already undergone previous rationalisation rounds in recent years, yet this latest round represents the largest single reduction announced by the operator in response to the doubled remote gaming duty rising from 21 percent to 40 percent effective April 2026 together with the planned increase in remote betting duty.

Tax Changes and Industry Pressures

The Autumn Budget 2025 introduced these duty adjustments as part of broader fiscal measures, and data from government sources shows the remote gaming duty change alone is projected to raise significant additional revenue while operators report that higher costs are accelerating the shift of customer activity toward online platforms. Autumn Budget 2025 (gambling taxation changes)

Rising operational expenses, increased competition from digital-only providers, and the ongoing migration of betting volume to online channels have compounded the impact of the tax rises, leading multiple companies to reassess their physical retail footprints simultaneously.

Parallel Moves by Rivals

Betfred, William Hill under the Evoke group, and Entain with its Ladbrokes Coral brands have each disclosed comparable shop closure programmes in recent months, with the combined effect producing hundreds of additional job losses across the sector as operators align their networks with current trading conditions.

Those who track industry filings observe that the pattern of reductions follows directly from the same tax and cost pressures, and the closures are not isolated events but part of a coordinated response visible across several listed companies.

Effects on British Racing Finances

The reduction in shop numbers is expected to decrease the volume of betting levy contributions and media rights payments that flow to British racing, since these payments are calculated in part on retail betting activity, and industry analysts have already modelled lower future receipts for racecourses and the sport's governing bodies.

While the online channel continues to expand, the levy mechanism tied to physical shops means that each closure removes a measurable portion of funding that previously supported prize money and other racing infrastructure.

Timeline and Next Steps

Flutter Entertainment stated that affected employees will receive support packages including redundancy terms and outplacement assistance, and the company intends to complete the majority of closures before the end of the calendar year while monitoring trading performance in the remaining estate.

By September 2026 the full financial impact of the duty changes will be visible across the sector, allowing operators and regulators to assess whether further adjustments to retail networks become necessary once the new tax rates have been in force for several months.

Conclusion

The decision by Flutter Entertainment to reduce its betting shop estate by up to 100 locations forms part of a wider industry adjustment to the tax increases set out in the Autumn Budget 2025 and the structural shift toward online betting, with similar actions already taken by competing operators and measurable consequences anticipated for British racing funding streams through reduced levy and media rights income.