Betfred has confirmed it will bring its long-running sponsorship of rugby league to a close at the end of the 2026 season, with founder Fred Done linking the decision to rising tax burdens and increasing operating costs that have already led the bookmaker to reduce its retail footprint.

The company currently serves as title sponsor of the Super League, the Challenge Cup and England Rugby League. Its involvement with the sport began in 2017 and will conclude after a decade when the existing agreement expires following the 2026 campaign.

The announcement comes several months after Betfred revealed plans to close 132 betting shops across the UK, a move expected to affect more than 600 jobs. The bookmaker said at the time that higher taxes and economic uncertainty had forced it to review its retail operations.

Reflecting on the sponsorship decision, Done, cited by Warrington Guardian, said: “We look back with great pride and fondness at our partnership with rugby league, which began in 2017. This fantastic sport made us welcome from the outset, and our involvement has forged some great friendships.

Regrettably, following last year’s extremely disappointing budget, and the ensuing combination of tax rises and wage inflation that led directly to the 132 shop closures we announced in July, it has been necessary to review all Betfred spending. In that context, it is with a very heavy heart that we have taken the decision not to extend our support for rugby league. I have always described rugby league people as family, and I sincerely hope that this wonderful sport will continue to thrive.”

Sponsorship Exit Follows Wider Cost-Cutting Measures

Betfred’s withdrawal from rugby league sponsorship represents the latest step in a broader effort to manage increasing costs across the business. The operator has cited a combination of gambling tax increases, higher National Insurance contributions, wage inflation and wider economic uncertainty as factors affecting its financial outlook.

At the start of April, remote gaming duty increased from 21% to 40%. Additional changes are scheduled from 2027, when a new online sports betting duty of 25% will apply to most sports betting activities, excluding horse racing. The company has repeatedly pointed to these measures when explaining recent business decisions.

When announcing the retail closures earlier this year, Chief Executive Jo Whittaker said: “We have tried hard to protect all our sites and the colleagues who work in them, but the combined impact of higher employer National Insurance contributions, wage inflation, increases in gambling taxes and wider economic uncertainty has left us with no choice.”

Betfred’s estate now stands at roughly 1,100 shops, although figures cited elsewhere place its retail network at approximately 1,094 locations. The company has indicated that further tax increases could result in substantially deeper cuts.

Done has been particularly vocal about proposals that could see Machine Gaming Duty rise from 20% to 40%. Fixed-odds betting terminals remain a significant source of revenue for betting shops, accounting for around half of Betfred’s shop profits according to Done.

He warned that such a change would force the closure of 495 betting shops and lead to thousands of job losses. In one estimate, Betfred projected 2,475 positions would be lost, while another cited 2,575 potential redundancies alongside a reduction of approximately £67 million in tax receipts.

Speaking about the longer-term outlook for the retail sector, Done said: “I believe that by 2030 we will have no betting shops. The high street will be dead. We’ve already worked it out that with the increases in taxes and salaries and other wages it won’t be worth operating.”

Gambling Industry Raises Concerns Over Future Tax Policy

The bookmaker’s concerns extend beyond rugby league and retail betting. Betfred currently sponsors Britain’s five Classic horse races, including the Derby, Oaks, St Leger, 2,000 Guineas and 1,000 Guineas. Done has indicated that future support for those events could also be affected by tax policy decisions.

“We have a verbal agreement to renew our sponsorship of the British Classic horse races for a further three years – but if October’s budget goes the wrong way on MGD, we will have to walk away from those too,” he said.

In a separate appeal directed at government policymakers, Done argued that the sector has reached its limits in terms of taxation.

“I’m not asking anyone to feel sorry for bookmakers. But I am asking the government to open their eyes. You can’t squeeze any more out of this industry. Every penny more of tax will kill investment, kill jobs, and kill horseracing.”

Done also defended the role betting shops play in local communities, saying: “The average bet placed in one of our shops is £10.87. Our customers are not high rollers or heavy gamblers. They are working people who enjoy a bet and a cup of tea with their friends. After visiting one of our shops, they go on to spend money in neighboring shops.

Every shop we close leaves a hole in its community – I get such emotional letters from former managers. That is why it was so upsetting to see betting shops grouped with vape shops and ‘rogue operators’ in recent government commentary.”

Addressing broader debates around taxation, Done added: “They keep saying those with the broadest shoulders should be paying more tax. Well, how broad do my shoulders have to be? We paid £400 million in taxes as a family last year.”

The Done family topped The Sunday Times Tax List this year with an estimated contribution of £400 million to the UK Treasury. The brothers, who founded Betfred in 1967, were also named the United Kingdom‘s largest taxpayers earlier this year.

Rugby League Prepares for a New Commercial Chapter

Rugby league officials responded by thanking Betfred for nearly a decade of support across several major competitions and national teams.

Rhodri Jones, interim RFL CEO and RL Commercial managing director, said: “Betfred has been an outstanding partner across rugby league for nearly a decade.

We are extremely grateful to Fred Done and the entire Betfred team for their backing, passion, and dedication to our sport.

We look forward, with them, to the play-off series and the grand finals to come in the next few weeks, as well as the Rugby League World Cup.

But, on the back of a record-breaking Super League season, we are also excited for this next chapter as we prepare to soon welcome in new partners to continue the successes that we have seen across Super League and all our major assets.”

While Betfred’s rugby league partnership will conclude after the 2026 season, the debate over gambling taxation, retail betting viability and sports sponsorship funding is likely to remain a major issue for both the industry and the sports organizations that depend on bookmaker support.