UK Chancellor John Healey faces criticism over £250m tax hike for high street

Key facts

• Gambling firms' duty on machine games with stakes over £1 will rise from 20% to 25% from April.
• The tax hikes and online sales crackdown are expected to raise £250 million.

UK Chancellor John Healey has announced plans to support Britain's high streets by increasing taxes on gambling firms and intensifying efforts to curb online sales. The proposed measures are anticipated to generate £250 million. As part of the plan, the duty on gambling machine games with stakes exceeding £1 will be raised from 20% to 25%, effective from April of the following year. The headline suggests these measures are perceived as 'smoke and mirrors' and will still result in a significant tax increase for the high street.