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How to play Mr Magnifico
Fred Done, the 83-year-old founder of Betfred and Britain’s highest-paying taxpayer this year, has issued a stark warning about the impact of further tax increases on the gambling industry.
In an interview with the Financial Times over the weekend, Done cautioned that additional tax hikes could result in widespread betting shop closures, harm related sectors such as horse racing and accelerate the decline of the high street.
Betfred currently operates approximately 1,094 retail shops across the UK. Done highlighted the concrete risks of Machine Gaming Duty – taxes on gambling machines – doubling from 20% to 40%, a move reportedly under consideration by Chancellor John Healey ahead of the Autumn Budget.
About Mr Magnifico
Macorin will attend the IAGR Annual Conference in Peru (19-22 October). There, regulators and industry representatives from around the world will discuss emerging challenges and opportunities in gaming and betting regulation.
“IAGR is extremely grateful for Fabio Macorin’s willingness to dedicate his extensive talents to representing South America at a pivotal time for gaming regulation across the region,” said IAGR Vice President Brian Krolicki.
“He brings a powerful combination of expertise in law enforcement, financial crime prevention and regulation to IAGR. His 17 years with the federal police and his leadership in building Brazil’s new regulated betting market give him a unique perspective on combatting the illegal market, strengthening AML controls and advancing regulatory cooperation. He is an ideal addition to the IAGR board of trustees and will be a tremendous asset to our global community.”
About Mr Magnifico
The one genuinely new seasonal wrinkle is a pumpkin symbol. It can land during free spins to award mid-bonus upgrades, layered on top of the ante bet and feature-buy options already familiar across the range. For an experienced Big Bass player, the proposition is deliberately recognizable rather than reinvented.
The value of this release lies in what it says about franchise strategy. The Big Bass series has become one of Pragmatic Play’s most reliable engines, and reskinning a proven math model with seasonal theming is a low-risk way to keep the brand visible during a commercially significant window.
Halloween is a natural peg for that approach. It gives operators a topical, franchise-branded title to feature in October promotions without asking players to learn a new system. The friendly Count Dracula fisherman and trick-or-treat trimmings supply the seasonal hook while the underlying fish-collection loop does the heavy lifting.
