"It [tax] doesn't even need to go up to 50%. If it went up to anywhere like 40% or even 35% there is no profit in the business. We would have to close it down. I'm talking job losses. We're talking probably 7,500,"
An estimated 1.4 million adults in Great Britain have a gambling problem, according to landmark figures released days after the chancellor hinted at increasing taxes on the 11.5bn industry. The Gambling Commission's annual survey found that 2.7% of adults scored 8 or above on the problem gambling severity index, a widely accepted measure analysing negative consequences of betting. In previous years, the watchdog had warned against extrapolating that percentage to the general population.