Betfred has confirmed plans to shut 132 betting shops from September, blaming higher taxes and wider economic uncertainty for the move. The Warrington‑based bookmaker said the closures would affect just over a tenth of its UK estate, leaving it with around 1,100 branches nationwide. The major British bookmaker has several shops in Somerset locations, including Minehead, Street, Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare. "Our priority now is to support the colleagues affected, and to continue serving customers and communities across the rest of our estate." Betfred has not yet published a full list of locations earmarked for closure, and it is not yet clear whether any Somerset stores will be set to close down for good.