Investors Back UK Betting Stocks

Shares in the largest betting companies traded on the London Stock Exchange rose sharply despite the tax increase announced in the Autumn Budget. Entain, evoke and Rank Group had lost value over the past year as pressure on the sector grew.

Chancellor John Healey announced that the Machine Games Duty on Category B machines will rise from 20% to 25%, and that the change will take effect on 1 April 2027. Some in the sector had feared the rate would be raised to 40%. As a result, many investors viewed the 25% rate as less severe.

Entain's shares rose 4.86% by the afternoon to 474.7p. The company had warned that the tax increase threatened the survival of some of its Ladbrokes and Coral shops. evoke, which owns William Hill, rose more than 4% to 44.75p. The company is also in the process of being acquired by Bally's Intralot in an offer of 52p per share.

Rank Group shares gained more than 10% to 86.9p. Of the company's 2025/26 net gaming revenue of £143 million from its Mecca venues, £60.1 million came from machine games. At Grosvenor Casinos, machines accounted for about 30% of total revenue of £397.3 million, or £113.2 million.