Betfred to End Super League Sponsorship, Blaming UK Betting Tax Rises

Betfred will end its sponsorship of Super League after this year’s Grand Final at Old Trafford, with founder and chairman Fred Done blaming UK betting tax rises.

Done said that the bookmaker will not renew the deal, which began in 2017, with the Championship and League One added the following year. “As much as it breaks my heart, we have decided not to renew our sponsorship of Rugby League,” he said.

The withdrawal follows July’s announcement that Betfred would close betting shops, a move Done said cost 600 jobs, £17.8m in taxes and £4.2m a year in payments to horseracing. “In July, a combination of wage inflation and tax rises forced us to announce the closure of 132 shops,” he said.

Tax rises drive the exit

The UK’s Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40% in April 2026, and General Betting Duty is due to rise from 15% to 25% in April 2027. Done said the company has a verbal agreement to renew its sponsorship of the British Classics horse races for a further three years, but will walk away if October’s budget raises Machine Games Duty. That agreement is not yet signed.

The pressure is not confined to one operator. Stella David, chief executive of Entain, which runs the Ladbrokes and Coral brands, wrote to the Prime Minister this month urging no increase in Machine Games Duty, citing tax-related costs behind cuts of up to 400 customer care roles.

The Rugby Football League says it is preparing to welcome new partners soon. “Betfred have 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,” said Rhodri Jones, the governing body’s interim chief executive.

The exit closes a partnership that has covered a record-breaking Super League season, with 1.62 million fans attending matches in 2025. Done, who has presented the Grand Final trophy, is due to hand it over for the final time at Old Trafford about two weeks after the announcement. October’s budget is the next date that matters for the remaining sponsorship.

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