Budget hits adult gaming centres with 25% tax as undercover footage exposes ‘slot farms’

Summary

John Healey has hit adult gaming centres with a 25% tax in the budget. Undercover footage shows how these venues, known as ‘slot farms’, lure customers. The example given is a shop in Peterborough, where £100 was lost in about five minutes: the last of five £20 notes went into a slot machine while The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony played over the shop’s sound system.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   29 Oct 2026, 14:00 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that John Healey has hit adult gaming centres with a 25% tax in the budget, and that undercover footage shows how ‘slot farms’ lure customers, using a Peterborough shop where £100 was lost in about five minutes.