英国财政大臣约翰·希利在最新预算案中决定将老虎机税率从20%上调至25%，并取消成人游戏中心（AGCs）享受休闲和餐饮类企业商业税率折扣的资格 1。然而，《卫报》调查发现，大量被称为“老虎机农场”的场所正利用持有宾果厅执照这一法律漏洞来规避上述税务变化 1。这些场所主要提供老虎机服务，却以宾果厅名义运营，从而继续享受税收折扣或逃避新规 1。
据Gambling Commission记录显示，超过200家街机厅已注册为宾果场所 1。涉及此类操作的主要公司包括Merkur和Admiral 1。此前有案例指出，Stockport的一家Merkur Slots店导致顾客Wendy Hughes在16小时内输掉£2,000，Merkur因此被罚款£100,000 1。针对这一监管缺口，工党议员Alex Ballinger敦促政府关闭漏洞并收紧许可规则 1。目前，政府正在考虑采取措施堵住这一漏洞 1。
Chancellor John Healey raised taxes on slot machines and removed commercial rate discounts for adult gaming centers (AGCs) in his budget, but a Guardian investigation reveals that many high street “slot farms” are evading these changes by operating under bingo hall licenses 1. The new fiscal measures increased the tax rate on slots from 20% to 25% and stripped AGCs of their eligibility for leisure and catering business rate reliefs 1. Despite these regulations, major operators such as Merkur and Admiral have maintained significant advantages by registering premises primarily focused on slot machine services as bingo halls, thereby continuing to benefit from discounted rates or bypassing the new rules entirely 1.
Official records from the Gambling Commission indicate that more than 200 arcades are currently registered as bingo venues, suggesting a widespread practice of regulatory arbitrage 1. The human cost of these operations was highlighted by a case involving a Merkur Slots store in Stockport, where customer Wendy Hughes lost £2,000 over a 16-hour period; Merkur subsequently received a £100,000 fine related to this incident 1. In response to the findings, Labour MP Alex Ballinger has urged the government to close the licensing loophole and tighten regulations to prevent further exploitation of the system 1.
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