Gaming boss criticises "vindictive" government tax changes
Posted by Epiphany Solutions on 27 Apr 2009 at 15:04
The chief executive of one of Britain's biggest gaming companies has hit out at the government, after the budget saw VAT on bingo scrapped, but its gross profit tax soar.
Duty on amusement machines is also going up nine per cent, and a new tax is to be brought in for casino card rooms.
Ian Burke, chief executive of Rank, was quoted by the Telegraph as saying: "I do not understand what the British bingo industry has done to justify the Government's vindictiveness."
He also called for MPs to get the measures "overturned in the finance bill".
Gala, another big gaming firm, was also not happy with the boost to 22 per cent in bingo tax.
The increases are set to hit the pockets of Rank, which said the changes would cost £6 million this year and £9 million annualised, which the Telegrpah called "big numbers" in the context of "consensus profit forecasts of £38m this year".
