Machine Games Duty Rises to 25% as Feared 40% Hike Is Dropped
The Budget raised the tax on betting shop and casino machines to 25%, not the 40% the industry feared. Did the lobbying work, or was 40% never on the table?
October 28, 2026
Brian Taylor: Industry Expert
Brian Taylor first started writing about the gambling industry a little over twenty years ago. That makes him one of the more experienced journalists covering casinos and gambling in the UK today. Back when he first started, the online gambling scene still had a “Wild West” edge to it - less regulation, bigger bonuses, gaps in licensing, and a landscape where the industry was still working out what it was supposed to.
Brian’s commentary benefits from that long-term perspective, and gives his work a depth of context that new-to-the-business writers can’t replicate. Brian can tell you more than how things are right now - he can also tell you how things got here.
Professionally, Brian’s background spans both print and digital media, starting out with guest publishing work before being offered and accepting editorial roles. He’s served as the editor of a very well-known and well-regarded casino advice and comparison platform, and in that capacity, gained a very detailed understanding of how the industry communicates with players and itself.
News and Opinions
While it’s certainly not beyond Brian to review a casino or ten, he’d rather focus on the journalistic side of coverage and the bigger picture. Brian’s attention is on changes in legislation, the work and priorities of the Gambling Commission, enforcement action, changes to marketing standards, and more. You’ll be able to find a piece written by Brian for every major change and turning point in the UK marketplace in the past decade.
While anyone can write an opinion piece, Brian’s opinion pieces are meticulously well-informed, and his views aren’t for sale. As such, he should be the first port of call for any UK-based player looking for straight commentary and player-focused analysis of changes in the market. In other words, if you want to know what a recent change is likely to mean for you, Brian is the man best-placed to tell you.
Beyond Gambling
Brian would be the first person to admit that he spends far too much time at his desk, but he tries to get away from it occasionally. His life, by his own preference, is a quiet one. Brian is a family man at heart and prefers to keep things low-key after so many years on the industry’s front lines, which is a big part of the reason why he’s freelance these days.
You might occasionally find Brian at Bristol Rovers home games (for his sins, he’d have me add), and his worst personality trait is taking pub quizzes more seriously than he really ought to. While he might not pay quite as much attention to the general knowledge round as he does to the latest white paper from the Gambling Commission, he’s not far away.
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