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The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
British horse racing to stage unprecedented strike in tax protest
British racing will stage an unprecedented one-day strike on 10 September to protest a proposed rise in taxes on horserace betting. The strike will lead to the cancellation of four scheduled fixtures at Carlisle, Uttoxeter, Lingfield, and Kempton, marking the first time the sport has voluntarily refused to race in modern history. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) launched the "Axe the Racing Tax" campaign in response to government proposals to replace the existing three-tax structure with a single tax, fearing an increase from 15 per cent to 21 per cent on racing duties. Industry leaders, including the chief executives of the BHA, Jockey Club, and Arena Racing Company, warned that the tax increase could be catastrophic for the sport and the thousands of jobs it supports across the UK. A Treasury spokesperson stated they are consulting on aligning the treatment of online betting with other forms of online gambling to reduce bureaucracy, not to increase or decrease rates, and are welcoming views from all stakeholders.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Horse racing to go on strike in protest against government's planned betting tax rise
All scheduled racing in Britain on 10 September will be cancelled and the sport will, in effect, go on strike, as racing escalates its protests against a Treasury proposal to align the rate of duty charged on sports betting with the rate for much more addictive games of pure chance such as roulette and online slot machines. The move to abandon meetings at Uttoxeter, Lingfield, Kempton and Carlisle is expected to result in the loss of around £700k to the industry. The action has been agreed following co-operation between Jockey Club Racecourses, which operates Kempton and Carlisle; Arena Racing Company, the operator of Uttoxeter and Lingfield; and the British Horseracing Authority, the sport's ruling body. Gambling on games of chance is currently taxed at 21% of an operator's gross profits, while the duty on betting – on racing, sports and other events without a fixed profit margin for the operator – is set at 15%. There is an additional charge of 10%pc of gross profits for bets on UK racing for the statutory Levy, which has returned money to racing since off-course betting was legalised in the early 1960s. The proposal to equalise the duty rate for betting and gaming products was initially floated by the Treasury in the final months of Rishi Sunak's Conservative government, but it survived the transition to a Labour administration and was the subject of a consultation process which closed in July. Betting and gaming have been treated separately for taxation purposes since the Betting and Gaming Act came into force in 1961. There is a widespread belief in racing that a levelling of the duty rates will make the sport more expensive for gambling operators and as a result, far less attractive when compared to gaming products with a guaranteed return. Alternatives for the tax regime around gambling include a proposal from the Social Market Foundation think tank that gaming duty could be increased to 50% and sports betting to 25%, with changes to the Levy system ensuring that racing would not lose out. The former prime minister, Gordon Brown, has also advocated for a significant rise in the duty charged on fixed-margin gaming products. Launching the British Horseracing Authority's campaign against the tax proposals last month, Brant Dunshea, the BHA's acting chief executive, said that the sport's stakeholders were 'united in their opposition to the Treasury's proposals to harmonise remote gambling duties'. Dunshea added: 'If the Chancellor delivers this tax bombshell at the autumn budget, not only will jobs be lost but the future of Britain's second-largest spectator sport will be in jeopardy. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'This is why it is vital that the government carefully considers the argument made by all British racing's stakeholders and works alongside us to protect a cherished national institution.' The races lost on 10 September are expected to be added to other cards scheduled around the same time. The date chosen for the racing 'strike' is 24 hours before the start of the high-profile St Leger meeting at Doncaster, which the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and his wife, Victoria, a keen racing fan, attended last year.
BBC News
13-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wolverhampton's new greyhound track set for late autumn opening
Work has started on a greyhound racing facility at Wolverhampton Racecourse, to sit alongside the site's horseracing new amenity at Dunstall Park, which will include a track and kennels, was given planning permission in kennels were under construction and set to be finished by mid-May, with work then beginning on the track, site owners confirmed fixtures currently held at Perry Barr Greyhound stadium would transfer over before the track opened in late autumn, with all staff offered jobs at the new site. The new track will sit inside the horseracing venue, with up to 25,000 spectators able to watch races from the main Evans, regional general manager at site owners Arena Racing Company (ARC), said he hoped basing it in an established venue would "promote the sport to new audiences"."Although we don't have a definitive opening date, it is our intention to be fully operational by late autumn where our present operation at Perry Barr Stadium in Birmingham will be moved," he which also operates the Perry Barr stadium, said it intended to "offer roles to all members of staff" ahead of the site's closure, although no final fixture date had been set."Delivering a seamless transition to our racing operation from Perry Barr to Dunstall Park is a number one priority," Mr Evans added. The new track is set to host "high-profile competitions" and classic events such as the St Leger and the Oaks, which have been run since the 1920s, operators facility will meet "stringent standards" set by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), they added."At the heart of this development is our commitment to greyhound welfare and homing, by working closely with our homing partners to ensure all greyhounds can enjoy a happy, healthy retirement when their racing careers end," Mr Evans said.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MP defends free racecourse tickets before speech
An MP accepted hundreds of pounds worth of free tickets from a racecourse days before championing it in a parliamentary debate on gambling. Ascot Racecourse gifted Windsor MP Jack Rankin three tickets in a hospitality box - worth £675 in total - on 19 October 2024. The Conservative MP went on to champion Ascot and Royal Windsor racecourses in a debate on the horseracing industry on 24 October, and warned against tighter gambling laws. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he was "proud" to represent the racecourses and accepting the gift was "entirely appropriate". "As an active, local and vocal member of parliament, it is my job to engage with, visit and represent our fantastic racecourses," said Mr Rankin, who also accepted two free tickets plus hospitality to Royal Windsor racecourse, worth £312, on 8 January. Rankin praised both venues in a debate on "government support for the horseracing industry" in parliament, five days after receiving the first gift. He said the economic importance of the annual Royal Ascot week "cannot be understated". He warned further affordability checks, which would require bookmakers to make sure customers could afford to place their bets, could mean "less money... invested in the sport" - something he said could be "catastrophic" for Windsor. "That is why I became an officer on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock, and why it is entirely appropriate to accept invitations to attend events at both local racecourses," he said. An Ascot Racecourse spokesperson said Mr Rankin's visit was "an opportunity for us to engage with him and explain the impact that the racecourse has on the local economy". A spokesperson for Arena Racing Company, which owns Royal Windsor, said they were "incredibly grateful" for Mr Rankin's support. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Ascot Racecourse Royal Windsor Racecourse Arena Racing Company
