Betfred axes Super League deal over betting tax squeeze

Rugby league’s near-decade Betfred tie-up ends as bookmaker cites tax rises hitting margins across the UK.

The hit

Betfred will end its Super League sponsorship after this season, founder Fred Done told the Sunday Times, according to SBC News. The deal, running since 2017, closes after the Grand Final at Old Trafford in two weeks. Done, who called the move heartbreaking, blamed wage inflation & tax rises for squeezed margins across the business.

Why it matters

The exit fits a wider shift as UK bookmakers redirect marketing budgets toward football, where Coral has moved from horseracing to Birmingham City & bet365 has dropped several long-running racing deals while keeping its Champions League partnership. Betfred remains one of the few operators without a football sponsorship, leaving it exposed as wage inflation & tax rises squeeze margins. Betway is bucking the trend, backing both Manchester United & The Jockey Club this year.

The record

RGD rise	21% to 40% in April 2026 (SBC News)
GBD rise	15% to 25% next April (SBC News)
Betfred shop closures	132 shops, 600 jobs, £17.8m in taxes lost, £4.2m/year in horseracing payments cut (Fred Done)
Super League attendance	record 1.62m fans across the 2025 season (SBC News)
Entain job cuts	up to 400 customer care roles cut, tax costs cited (Stella David, Entain CEO)

What happens next

Watch October’s Budget for the Machine Games Duty decision that could decide the fate of Betfred’s British Classics sponsorship & the RFL’s search for new partners before the World Cup.

Sources: SBC News · Betfred to end historic Super League sponsorship this season

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