Betting taxes blamed as Betfred calls time on Super League support

Betfred’s founder and Chairman Fred Done has confirmed that the UK bookmaker will cut ties with rugby league’s Super League at the end of the season. The bookmaker’s decision confirms earlier rumours and ends a partnership that first started in 2017, and comes amid a shifting landscape for UK betting marketing as major operators adjust strategies. Done deems the decision as part of a burdensome review of marketing expenditure, reflecting the difficult economics and squeezed margins confronting all UK bookmakers. Betfred has also cut ties despite Super League viewing figures being on the up on TV and in stadiums, as the 2025 season saw a record-breaking 1.62 million fans attending matches across the competition. But Done, a long-time rugby league fan, told the Sunday Times that Betfred had made the decision to part ways with the Super League after the Grand Final at Old Trafford in two weeks’ time. “I love Old Trafford – I’ve been a Manchester United fan my whole life – but it’ll be a sad day when I go there in a fortnight. I’m due to hand over the Betfred Super League Grand Final trophy to the winner of the Rugby League competition for the final time,” he said. “I’ve always described people in Rugby League as family – they’re brilliant. Betfred started sponsoring the Super League in 2017 because we saw it as an important northern sport, and we added the Championship and League One the following year. “Then came the Women’s Super League in 2019, the Challenge Cup and Wheelchair Super League in 2021 and the England national teams in 2022. “At heart, I’m still a working-class guy from Salford. Supporting rugby league, a working-class sport, has meant a lot to me.” Credit: Betfred Once again, tax increases were referenced in a conversation with a prominent leadership figure from a UK betting operator about bottom lines and profit optimisation. Per Widerström, Chief Executive Officer of William Hill and 888 owner evoke, was scathing about the increases in Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) and General Betting Duty (RGD) shortly after they were announced last year. RGD rose from 21% to 40% in April 2026, and GBD will rise from 15% to 25% next April. Stella David, CEO of Entain, which operates the Ladbrokes and Coral brands, wrote directly to Prime Minister Andy Burnham last week to urge him not to increase Machine Games Duty (MGD) as she cited tax-related costs as a reason why the company is cutting up to 400 customer care roles. Done, who described Betfred’s decision to shut 132 shops earlier this year as “like killing your own babies”, said the company’s move to cut ties with the Super League was heartbreaking. He continued: “But that’s [the Super League sponsorship] coming to an end. In July, a combination of wage inflation and tax rises forced us to announce the closure of 132 shops. “Betting shops have been my life, and it was an agonising decision. But government policy left us with no choice. With those shops went 600 jobs, £17.8m in taxes and £4.2m a year in payments to horseracing. “In an environment like this, you have to look at all your costs. As much as it breaks my heart, we have decided not to renew our sponsorship of Rugby League.” Is Betfred joining the sponsorship shift? The move comes as bookmakers seem to be placing the majority of their marketing eggs in the football basket, exemplified by Coral, which cut its sponsorship deal of the Cheltenham Festival’s Coral Cup (now the BetMGM Cup), but secured a partnership with EFL Championship side Birmingham City to become the club’s front-of-shirt sponsor. Meanwhile, bet365 has cut several major, long-running UK horseracing sponsorships so far this year, but remains the official global partner of the UEFA Champions League. It looks like the more lucrative footballing deals are the ones that operators are after, rather than having a wide portfolio across several sports, though there are some outliers like Betway, which has partnered with both Manchester United and The Jockey Club this year. Betfred is also somewhat of an outlier as although it has a broad sponsor portfolio including BOXXER-promoted boxing matches and a number of major horse races, it does not have any existing partnerships in football. The company is a big supporter of horse racing, sponsoring all five British Classics, but Done has also issued a stark warning about those deals. The future of these deals may well rest on a decision regarding a tax increase in MGD. “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 explained. The Rugby Football League (RFL) thanked Done and Betfred for being an “outstanding partner” for nearly a decade, and confirmed that it was looking to welcome new partners. Rhodri Jones, Interim RFL CEO and Rugby League Commercial Managing Director, said: “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. “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 World Cup. “But, on the back of a record-breaking Super League season, we’re also excited for this next chapter as we prepare to soon welcome in new partners to continue the successes we’ve seen across Super League and all our major assets.” Want to find the latest methods to reach your key audiences? Get yourself to the Digital Marketing & CRM Academy at SBC Summit Lisbon on Wednesday 30 September. Get yourself an Education+ pass by visiting https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit/marketing-academy/