LABOUR risks a “war on fun” if higher betting taxes means fewer offers and promotional deals, Rachel Reeves has been warned.
Polling found that more than half of punters would find flutters less enjoyable if bookies were forced to remove enhanced odds.
Companies have warned that such promotions – like accumulators and bonuses – would be the first to go if the Chancellor squeezes the sector with more taxes.
A YouGov poll for the Betting and Gaming Council found 57 per cent of bettors believed fewer promotional deals would make the hobby less enjoyable.
Their research also found betting was especially enjoyed in Labour’s traditional Red Wall communities.
BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst said: “This polling sends a clear message from punters. They want betting to remain fun and enjoyable, and offers and promotions are a vital part of that.
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“But if the Government further hikes taxes, the offers customers enjoy the most will be placed under threat, which is tantamount to a war on fun, while creating yet another lure to the unsafe, growing gambling black market.”
The Sun’s Save Our Bets campaign is calling on ministers to spare bookies from her Budget raid to plug a financial black hole.
Politicians across the divide – including Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage – are both backing the call.
Experts warn it would wipe out tens of thousands of jobs, hammer sports who rely on sponsorship, and drive profits into the arms of black market crooks.
Two left-wing think tanks – the IPPR and the Social Market Foundation – have been pushing for an increase in gambling taxes.
Their proposals include hiking levies on online sports betting from 15 to 25 per cent, while whacking online gaming from 21 to 51 per cent.
