The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced no race meetings will take place on 10 September in protest against the UK government’s proposed changes to horseracing betting taxes.
In April, the Treasury opened a consultation into a single remote gambling tax, potentially bringing pool and general betting duty, currently 15%, in line with remote gaming duty at 21%.
The newly combined tax is referred to as Remote Betting and Gaming Duty, yet there are concerns it could go above 21% as part of plans to harmonise the tax rates.
In recent weeks, think tanks have also proposed hiking online casino tax as high as 50%, while introducing carve-outs for horseracing to protect the sport.
In an attempt to force the government to scrap its plans, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced that four race meetings scheduled to take place at Lingfield Park, Carlisle, Uttoxeter and Kempton on 10 September will not go ahead.
The decision means race meetings will be cancelled in protest of a government proposal for the first time in the sport’s history.
The four fixtures have been rescheduled already, taking place across the 8, 9, 11 and 15 September instead.
The authority said the decision to effectively go on strike one day before the start of the four-day Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster was “unprecedented” and will also be the first time the sport has voluntarily refused to race in its modern history.
The action is the latest part of the BHA’s ‘Axe the Racing Tax’ campaign, with a mass advertising push regarding the risks the sport faces from tax hikes.
Bookmakers are major contributors to the sport through sponsorships, media rights and the 10% levy collected on their gross profits.
The industry’s trade body, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), says its members provide £350m a year for racing.
Research conducted by the BHA last month claimed that a single tax rate could cost the horseracing industry £330m over a five-year period.
The strike has been backed by the Jockey Club, Arena Racing Company and the National Trainers Federation, while top figures in horseracing, including trainer Nicky Henderson, have thrown their support behind the move.
Brant Dunshea, BHA CEO, said: “We have decided to take the unprecedented decision to cancel our planned racing fixtures on 10 September to highlight to government the serious consequences of the Treasury’s tax proposals which threaten the very future of our sport.
“British racing is already in a precarious financial position and research has shown that a tax rise on racing could be catastrophic for the sport and the thousands of jobs that rely on it in towns and communities across the country.
“This is the first time that British Racing has chosen not to race due to government proposals. We haven’t taken this decision lightly but in doing so we are urging the government to rethink this tax proposal to protect the future of our sport which is a cherished part of Britain’s heritage and culture.
“Our message to government is clear: axe the racing tax and back British Racing.”
However, the BHA’s action has been slammed by the BGC, with the trade body stating that operators were not consulted on the decision.
The BGC, which represents the likes of Entain, Flutter and evoke, said that such “futile political gestures” risked antagonising the government and irking the betting customers.
A statement read: “Racing’s decision to reschedule fixtures was taken without consultation with betting operators, whose support for the funding of the sport is mission critical.
“We are concerned that futile political gestures will only antagonise the government and frustrate punters, instead of delivering a solution to a shared challenge facing both racing and betting.
“We want to work with racing constructively to prevent further damaging tax rises, as any new tax rise on any part of betting or gaming can undermine racing’s revenues and threaten investment in the sport – already a more expensive and less profitable product for operators.”
London-listed operators’ shares have been hit in recent weeks as rumours continue to swirl that Chancellor Rachel Reeves could hike levies in her Autumn Budget.
The post British racing to hold “unprecedented” one-day strike over potential tax hikes first appeared on EGR Intel.
BHA reschedules four meetings due to take place on 10 September, yet the Betting and Gaming Council claims decision was made without input from operators and is a “futile” gesture
The post British racing to hold “unprecedented” one-day strike over potential tax hikes first appeared on EGR Intel.