Bet365 has announced a reduction of nearly 3% of its workforce, resulting in 340 job cuts across its locations in Stoke-on-Trent, Malta, and Gibraltar. The majority of these layoffs will impact the Stoke-on-Trent site, which accounts for around 300 of the affected roles. The remaining positions are distributed between Malta and Gibraltar, where bet365 manages a significant portion of its compliance and trading operations outside the UK.
A spokesperson for bet365 commented on the decision, stating, "We are committed to minimizing the impact on our people and are exploring all avenues to reduce the number of redundancies. Our colleagues are our priority. We understand the concerns many will have. Impacted staff have been informed and are being fully supported throughout this process."
The online casino sector faces new pressures following an increase in remote gaming taxes set to take effect on April 1, 2026. The tax rate will rise sharply from 21% to 40%, a change outlined in the November 2025 Autumn Budget. Additionally, further tax increases are scheduled for April 2027, which will see gambling taxes increase from 15% to 25%, except for horse racing.
These tax hikes present a particular challenge for bet365, which has no physical retail outlets or land-based casinos to help offset costs. As a result, each pound of tax will directly affect the performance of its digital operations.
