The fallout from the UK’s gambling tax hike is beginning to materialize, with LiveScore Bet confirming it will withdraw from Bulgaria by the end of 2025. The company explicitly linked the decision to higher costs imposed under the government’s November budget.
This week, the company released a statement explaining the decision. It said: “The decision is a strategic mitigation following the UK government’s 2025 Autumn Budget, which saw significant increases to both Remote Gaming Duty and General Betting Duty.”
LiveScore Bet also pointed to regulatory uncertainty in Bulgaria, with a tax hike on gambling companies expected to help cover a shortfall in the national budget deficit. Customers are in the process of being informed of the decision, with all operations set to cease before new year’s day.
Before the UK government’s 2025 Autumn Budget, LiveScore Bet was enjoying a sustained period of success as one of the fastest-growing bookmakers in the country. Early signs suggest just how impactful the budget will be on their operations moving forward.
UK gambling tax hike continues to have ramifications
Before the budget was announced, several politicians accused lobbyists in the gaming industry of sowing anxiety. In the lead-up to the budget, MPs on the Treasury Select Committee urged Rachel Reeves “not to cave in to industry scaremongering”.
However, at least some of those fears appear to have had some grounding. Evoke, whose brands include William Hill, announced it was considering the sale of its business as part of a strategic review, appointing Morgan Stanley and Rothschild & Co as joint financial advisers to guide them through the process. Thousands of high street betting shops are thought to be under threat as a result of the news. Stella David, CEO of Entain, also hinted at worse odds and fewer promotions for customers to help cover the cost of the tax, which is thought to be around £100million in EBITDA.
While Betfred owner Fred Done has not followed through on his warning that he may have to close all of his retail stores as a result of any tax rise, the news of LiveScore Bet’s restructuring will not go unnoticed among industry leaders who had warned against any hike.
The UK government has defended the increases as a necessary measure to strengthen consumer protections, support public-health objectives around gambling harm, and help stabilize the public finances amid wider fiscal pressures.
LiveScore Bet ended their statement hinting at more headwinds down the line: “The refocusing of resources ensures LiveScore Group remains robust and agile for the future.”
Other countries to follow UK lead
There appears to be a global trend of governments clamping down on the sector as economic realities begin to bite across the world. Back in September, Mexico finance minister Édgar Amador argued for an increase to the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) from a tax rate of 30% on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR), to a staggering 50% total, almost doubling the cost to operators.
In Sweden, Hasse Lord Skarplöth, chief executive of Swedish horse racing monopoly AB Trav och Galopp (ATG), also advised his government to follow in the footsteps of the UK.
He was reported to have said in the aftermath of the UK gambling tax hike: “The Swedish government is faced with the same choice as the British one. Either we continue to pretend that all forms of gambling are equivalent, or we tax according to actual risk and benefit.”
News of uncertainty surrounding Bulgaria and its government’s approach to taxing the industry is likely to cause further consternation in the iGaming sector.
Bulgaria tax hike on gambling to come next year
Recent reports suggest Bulgaria’s Ministry of Finance is working on increasing licence fees for gambling operators as part of its 2026 budget strategy. A proposed amendment to the Gambling Tax in the Medium-Term Budget Forecast for 2026-2028 will likely see a variable component of the two-part state fee for maintaining licences rising from 20% to 25%.
Government sources hope the amendment will raise a further €32m ($37m) in state revenue, but the move looks to have already cost the country one significant player in its landscape in LiveScore Bet.
LiveScore Bet’s exit from Bulgaria is unlikely to be an isolated response. For operators already absorbing higher costs in their core markets, secondary jurisdictions with shifting tax frameworks are becoming harder to justify. While governments face legitimate fiscal pressures, the growing list of restructurings, market withdrawals, and strategic reviews suggests the UK’s decision is already reshaping behavior well beyond its borders.
As more countries weigh similar measures, critics believe the risk for regulators is not just reduced margins for operators, but reduced competition, innovation, and tax intake over the longer term. Whether policymakers recalibrate or press ahead will determine if the LiveScore Bet case becomes an early warning or the start of a broader retreat from smaller and mid-tier European markets.
