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out today...
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Increasing online betting taxes would devastate British racing, ministers will be warned on Monday.
A hard-hitting report by a cross-party group of politicians will demand that action is taken to secure the future of the sport as it faces a 'triple whammy' of financial threats caused by government policies.
They are headed by Treasury plans to replace the current three-tax structure of online gambling duties with a single Remote Betting and Gaming Duty that would tax bets on horseracing at the same rate as online casino and slot games.
It is feared this will increase costs for online bookmakers, disincentivising them from promoting the sport and leading to fewer people betting on racing, which would in turn impact the sport’s funding, put jobs at risk and hamper the work on equine welfare.
The proposals come as British racing is already dealing with the financial impact of affordability checks on bettors, which have wiped millions of pounds from the sport's finances, and with talks to reform the levy system and provide much-needed extra income having stalled.
The report, 'Securing Racing’s Future: The Threat to British Horseracing', has been produced by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Racing and Bloodstock and will be launched in Westminster on Monday.
It quotes polling which found that 53 per cent of British people said horseracing is an important part of British culture, more than 60 per cent believe the government has a responsibility to protect the UK’s international sporting standing and that 56 per cent support a law requiring greater reinvestment into British horseracing.
It adds that those views were held by people from across the political spectrum, with support for horseracing and action to protect it found among supporters of the Labour government and backers of Reform UK, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
The report claims British racing is at a "tipping point" and that, unless steps are taken to secure sustainable funding, the sport and the wider economic and social ecosystem it supports would decline, leading to job losses, diminished rural economies and denting Britain’s global reputation.
It calls on the government to rethink its plans to harmonise online gambling taxes or, if it proceeds with the plans, grant an exemption to horseracing that recognises its economic, social and cultural value.
APPG co-chair and Conservative MP Nick Timothy described horseracing as one of the "crown jewels of British sport and culture".
Newmarket is in his West Suffolk constituency and Timothy said that some of the most important racing operations in the world invested "huge" sums of money into the local economy.
He said: "This is a story we could tell across the country, from rural villages to towns like Cheltenham and Doncaster, where horseracing is part of the social fabric and has been for centuries.
"The public recognise this. Nobody will forgive ministers if their decisions lead to the decline of the nation’s second-biggest spectator sport. The time for warm words has ended – we now demand action. The government must listen to the public and take immediate measures to secure the future of horseracing in Britain."
Timothy's fellow co-chair, Labour MP Dan Carden, whose Liverpool Walton constituency includes Aintree racecourse, said: "The message from this report is clear: British racing needs this Labour government to be on its side.
"Racing is part of our national story, and its enjoyment and support extends all the way from rural to urban working class communities.
"I’m calling on the government to listen and to act in order to secure a fair funding model, protect jobs and allow horseracing to thrive for future generations."
Acting BHA chief executive Brant Dunshea said the report's findings made clear the public's affection for horseracing.
He said: "The sport is a cherished national institution, loved by people across every part of society, across every type of community, across every political party.
"It's time that the government recognised that passion across the country for our sport and developed policies that supported it, allowed it to survive and thrive instead of risking its future."
Two-thirds of those polled see racing as an important part of the identity of towns like Newmarket, Doncaster and Cheltenham.
Dunshea said racing provided huge cultural, social and economic value to towns and rural areas across Britain, and that those communities would suffer should racing be hit.
He added: "British racing cannot – and must not – be allowed to fail. All of us who love and depend on this iconic sport call on the government to recognise the depth of feeling and act now to back British racing."
The government's consultation on gambling taxes is set to close at midnight on July 21. Should it proceed with the proposals, the rate for the new duty will be set as part of the budget process.
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Increasing online betting taxes would devastate British racing, ministers will be warned on Monday.
A hard-hitting report by a cross-party group of politicians will demand that action is taken to secure the future of the sport as it faces a 'triple whammy' of financial threats caused by government policies.
They are headed by Treasury plans to replace the current three-tax structure of online gambling duties with a single Remote Betting and Gaming Duty that would tax bets on horseracing at the same rate as online casino and slot games.
It is feared this will increase costs for online bookmakers, disincentivising them from promoting the sport and leading to fewer people betting on racing, which would in turn impact the sport’s funding, put jobs at risk and hamper the work on equine welfare.
The proposals come as British racing is already dealing with the financial impact of affordability checks on bettors, which have wiped millions of pounds from the sport's finances, and with talks to reform the levy system and provide much-needed extra income having stalled.
The report, 'Securing Racing’s Future: The Threat to British Horseracing', has been produced by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Racing and Bloodstock and will be launched in Westminster on Monday.
It quotes polling which found that 53 per cent of British people said horseracing is an important part of British culture, more than 60 per cent believe the government has a responsibility to protect the UK’s international sporting standing and that 56 per cent support a law requiring greater reinvestment into British horseracing.
It adds that those views were held by people from across the political spectrum, with support for horseracing and action to protect it found among supporters of the Labour government and backers of Reform UK, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
The report claims British racing is at a "tipping point" and that, unless steps are taken to secure sustainable funding, the sport and the wider economic and social ecosystem it supports would decline, leading to job losses, diminished rural economies and denting Britain’s global reputation.
It calls on the government to rethink its plans to harmonise online gambling taxes or, if it proceeds with the plans, grant an exemption to horseracing that recognises its economic, social and cultural value.
APPG co-chair and Conservative MP Nick Timothy described horseracing as one of the "crown jewels of British sport and culture".
Newmarket is in his West Suffolk constituency and Timothy said that some of the most important racing operations in the world invested "huge" sums of money into the local economy.
He said: "This is a story we could tell across the country, from rural villages to towns like Cheltenham and Doncaster, where horseracing is part of the social fabric and has been for centuries.
"The public recognise this. Nobody will forgive ministers if their decisions lead to the decline of the nation’s second-biggest spectator sport. The time for warm words has ended – we now demand action. The government must listen to the public and take immediate measures to secure the future of horseracing in Britain."
Timothy's fellow co-chair, Labour MP Dan Carden, whose Liverpool Walton constituency includes Aintree racecourse, said: "The message from this report is clear: British racing needs this Labour government to be on its side.
"Racing is part of our national story, and its enjoyment and support extends all the way from rural to urban working class communities.
"I’m calling on the government to listen and to act in order to secure a fair funding model, protect jobs and allow horseracing to thrive for future generations."
Acting BHA chief executive Brant Dunshea said the report's findings made clear the public's affection for horseracing.
He said: "The sport is a cherished national institution, loved by people across every part of society, across every type of community, across every political party.
"It's time that the government recognised that passion across the country for our sport and developed policies that supported it, allowed it to survive and thrive instead of risking its future."
Two-thirds of those polled see racing as an important part of the identity of towns like Newmarket, Doncaster and Cheltenham.
Dunshea said racing provided huge cultural, social and economic value to towns and rural areas across Britain, and that those communities would suffer should racing be hit.
He added: "British racing cannot – and must not – be allowed to fail. All of us who love and depend on this iconic sport call on the government to recognise the depth of feeling and act now to back British racing."
The government's consultation on gambling taxes is set to close at midnight on July 21. Should it proceed with the proposals, the rate for the new duty will be set as part of the budget process.
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i wonder if it will mention TQ's ride at Lingfield the other day and what effect THAT sort of thing has on betting and British Racing ?
somehow i doubt it... in fact i GUARANTEE it coz THEY don't want to talk about things like that... THEY try and feed the mug public the line that it is 99.9999999% clean so we keep betting on it... as i keep saying... it's just an illusion. |
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He added: "British racing cannot – and must not – be allowed to fail.
----------------------------------------------------------------------- exactly... which is why rides on a seemingly DAILY basis are allowed to go without your stewards even asking a Q... you can fool some of the people some of the time... but you can't fool all of us all of the time Brant my friend. |
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and perhaps Brant my friend...
you can explain to the horse racing loving British public why someone (who was very well qualified for a job at your integrity department)... was immediately dismissed at the very first hurdle ? scared they might be too good at their job and it would hurt British racing ? laughable my friend... utterly laughable. |
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another angle that i GUARANTEE will not see the light of day in this 'report'..
bookie chappies not taking decent bets... you want a few hundred on a horse... you're offered £1.63 if you are lucky... a complete farce of a scenario (obviously)... any comment on that one Brant ? nope - didn't think so pal. |
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Sadly the days of racing being a "cherished national institution" are long behind us and therein lies part of the problem.
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This would be admirable, if it weren't for the fact that as an industry, racing allowed (and 100% went along with) the bookmakers lumping gambling and gaming together throughout the consultation on the White Paper.
So for regulation (including Affordability Checks) the racing industry made no attempt whatsoever to differentiate itself from addictive online games of chance and is already paying the price. Where were all these people (that have now suddenly seen the light) when it really mattered? And why are they still only going at it with one hand tied behind their back (presumably by the online bookmakers)? If this really is about securing racings future, why not go "all in" and argue the real difference in harm rates, addiction rates, etc? The bottom line is that racing is dying because betting on horses (gambling) is in a fight for it's life against gaming. Left to run it's course the online bookmakers will ensure that gaming wins the day. Obviously it's a bit late now; their subservience to the online gaming empires (masquerading as bookmakers) has already inflicted massive damage - but surely it's time now for racing to realise that they are in a fight to the death with gaming. It's time to break away completely and go "all in" against the real enemy. |
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It's interesting that when the "harmonisation of betting taxes" was first raised, some key figures in the racing industry as well as talking about jobs, peripheral industries, local economies, heritage, etc, were also brave enough to mention different harm levels, addiction rates, etc in their (all too late) efforts to differentiate racing from addictive online games of chance.
It looks to me like they've now "got the memo" from the online slots/casino empires and reigned it in. |
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Good Lord The Management. It's reined not reigned.
You'll be saying " could of " next  Your point is well-made as usual however. |
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Freudians Lip
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The Management is right about the disastrous conflation of betting and gaming, and racing's complicity in that. But even without these random number games and just considering "proper" betting, the levy gave bookies a reason to lure punters away from racing and onto football.
On the subject of culture, it might be time to knock the Grand National on the head. It no longer stops the nation but too often hands ammunition to the antis. Even half its defenders on here complain the race is far different from its heyday, being almost a glorified staying hurdle. A new consideration raised by Lee Mottershead in the Racing Post the other week is watering courses during droughts and whether, as climate change kicks in, this will increasingly antagonise the public subject to hosepipe bans. Time to do away with summer jumping then? |
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Listening to Lee Mottershead does not seem like something most in racing would do never mind the general public, most of whom would not even know about courses watering never mind being antagonised by it. As for doing away with the biggest betting race in the calendar, is that not exactly what the antis would love?
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What next ?? Scrap Christmas because the term " Snowflake " is upsetting to a Minority. ?
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What's next? Do nothing and wonder why racing continues its decline.
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Next would be any race with the word "National" in it's title and so on from there.
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I dont wonder why its in decline, I Have a pretty good idea why as I have stated on here before ....
its DISJOINTED, you have about 10 -12 different bodys all pulling in different directions, Owners, Trainers, Jockeys, Track owners, TV rights, ... the list is endless all fighting over the carcass which is looking a bit thin now.! |
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here it is...
we've all been on the edge of our seats... fingernails all chewed off here... https://media.britishhorseracing.com/bha/Communications/APPG_Report.pdf |
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for anyone who can't be arsed reading it (and that includes myself)...
here is the conclusion... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONCLUSION The bottom line is horseracing – the second largest spectator sport in Britain – with immense economic and cultural value not just to rural areas, but to towns with racecourses across the country, risks being tipped into terminal decline without concerted action from policymakers on harmonisation, the Levy and affordability checks. Of course, the sport has a symbiotic relationship with gambling, but betting on horseracing is very different to online casino games. Harmonisation is effectively a serious new tax on the sport via the backdoor, raising costs for operators and incentivising them to promote online and casino games instead. This would be disastrous for the sport, and bad for consumers. The government and policymakers risk sleepwalking into a set of decisions that irreparably damage the sport, leaving it with no way back, with potentially severe consequences for livelihoods, jobs, and urban and rural communities alike who depend on and love racing. The strength of feeling among voters polled demonstrates clearly that the government risks looking out of touch, pursuing an unpopular course of action that is both bad policy and bad politics. Our call to government is clear: exempt horseracing from plans to harmonise gambling duties, reflecting its fundamentally different nature and level of risk. A blunt, one size fits all approach to harmonisation comes with serious and unnecessary unintended consequences for the sport. The government has a choice. Move ahead as intended and risk the future of British racing, or take the more considered route and give racing the exemption it needs from harmonisation. In doing so, policymakers will safeguard a national asset and have the thanks and gratitude not just of stakeholders across the sport, but of people across the country who enjoy racing and depend on it for the livelihoods. |
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The government and policymakers risk sleepwalking into a set of decisions that irreparably damage the sport,
leaving it with no way back,........ I really want to side with the BHA here, but they've got a right cheek pointing the finger at government policy as if that's the sole, or even primary, cause of racing's impending terminal decline. |
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always someone else to blame bettinghelp.
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Hideous typo on page 13:
(Financial risk) checks in their current form capture the vast majority of racing bettors who gamble safely and responsibly while missing those who are genuinely at risk. This means that responsible bettors who on no reasonable measure should not be considered ‘at risk’ are being driven towards black market operators..... |
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The BHA should have taken legal action against the GC years ago.
Instead they let Bookmakers lead them by the nose as usual. Julie Harrington was the worse in a long line of hapless leaders |
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Did they mention now having summer jumps racing, loads more evening meetings, sunday racing, all weather, so that is one of the reasons why the game isn’t ‘as it used to be’’. They have saturated the market and then wonder why there are so many small fields when there is just too much racing and too many vested interests to cut it back
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And amid all of the issues and mess that surround the game, when it comes to the sales ring, the biggest owners are spending more than ever before with no apparent concern as to what would happen,should/when the whole house of cards finally collapses.
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