Anyone with Any strong opinions re the levy and how Irish racing should be funded?

There were other threads about this, scroll through the pages.

I think people would have no problem paying it if it was going to be equitably distributed on sport in Ireland, preferably with a focus on sports with big participation numbers. I think most people have a problem with it going in to wealthy trainers pockets and Grade 1 purses.

If they want to bring in more tax they could start by increasing the tax on bloodstock from the 1.85% it was the year before last.

Betfair and others already contribute and to HRI and have offered to contribute more. The HRI have thrown a strop and 4 of their board members were on the Punchestown board that refused 500k sponsorship from Betfair.

A lot of people in Ireland don't bet on horses outside the 2/3 big races a year, it's fundamentally unfair to give the increased tax to horse racing.

As for "strong opinions" I dunno but as it is the racing industry needs to be looking at itself as for funding etc.

The Tote as it is already, funds racing as does the bookmakers Levy on-course. The problem as I see it, is Betfair and all these on-online gambling institutions are now in a position to basically take over betting. One time, I assume the orig poster of this thread is a young student. It's not so long ago that if you wanted to place a substantial bet on a horse you simply had to go to the course yourself. So leading layers didnt open a market on-course til about 7 minutes prior to racing. Nowadays a market is practically open on all UK + Irish meeting from the evening before on Betfair. Meanwhile right up to the "off" a boookie can theoretically lay a 33/1 shot (basically a no-hoper) at about 16s, have a laptop with Betfair on-screen and do a "lay" bet at 50 or 100/1 if someone wants to bet on the 16/1 shot with him. The big money is on the exchnges, and as the second poster says, Betfair offered funding to HRI. If you go near off-course betting now with a betting tax you really kill off SP betting, I dont know HOW all the small bookies offices that have opened all over the place can last... Mind you four have gone in my hometown in a short time. Some tracks in Ireland have done good to serious marketing of their facilities and it's worked, particularly those who did the groundwork and invested, Galway is an example. UK is going the same way, they know funding and keeping the industry going is now just a problem. One way is like the greyhounds etc., have "track nights" etc, I think that can spoil it for the genuine horseracing punter but its working in some big UK tracks.   

With leaner times in now, owning a nag has become one flippin' costly business. Your're back again to prizemoney and who wins the big races?

Am back to kinda 'hen and egg', the betting industry is changing and rapidly. I looked at an Irish bookies "great" World Cup prices earlier today, I had a quick look at Betfair and the same market was there with prices I could bet at half as much again - 50% more -  as the Irish bookie was offering. Bookmakers looking for a 130% round up (Irish racing) will maybe be left behind by the exchanges. But then you're back to how do you fund the industry? And HRI could afford to refuse a grant from Betfair.

Maybe a 2 or 2 1/2 PERCENT TAX on betting turnover all a cross the board,BETTING SHOPS,ON-COURSE BOOKIES,TELEPHONE BETTING,BETTING EXCHANGES,AND ALL OTHER INTERNET BETTING SITES,CASINO,S,would return a handsome nest egg for the government.Grants for racing and all other sports would not be a problem.Regarding racing they would have to change the present structure that heads H.R.I.as they have squandered millions over the years as all they are interested in is their big fat salaries will come from.New people fresh ideas you would never know.One way or another the present state of racing or racecourses wont last much longer.

Cmon the town

How much does the tote pay Irish Racing every ?

answer might surprise you

The TOTE has done there brains the last few years,been bailed out by H.R.I.with taxpayers money,then they hike up  the percentage they take out of the pools to fleece the tax paying race going public again.How does a big fat ZERO sound yummy.

When you think pps boss earned nearly more last year according to its annual report than the 3 managers of AIB, Irish Life, and Bank of Ireland put together.....You can see why HRI now feel short changed.

What was his package €1.6 million according to its annual report? Nice work if you can get it I suppose.

But why any business such as the betting industry should think they have the right to tell a goverment what it should do with the tax it pays is beyond me. Those decisions are usually left for YOU not THEM to decide on at elections.

In truth though most of us who have been involved in betting for years know when bookies start preaching about their worry of the moral health of the country especially one paying himself (€1.5 million for just running a bookies) its usually worth digging deeper to find the big picture about what this campaign is really about.

Then when the same campaign also happens to be launched in England at the same time you think there is defintely more to this than meets the eye. As in reality both countries levy is really just a irriritant than anything else to bookmakers. They know if it wasn't there they be still paying it in some form to the goverment.

So why now after what is it 1960s it came it after 50 years of saying nothing and in a boom of the last 10 years why now in a recession of all times throw their toys out of the pram?

My own guess is there is TWO reasons for this campaign and SADLY nothing to do with the moral health of our countries.

ONE is. What really must bug them is what they must see as the uneeded attention the likes of HRI and the Horse Racing board in England draws to there ever rising profits and the fact so many of them have moved off shore for tax benefits. Which is causing the demise in Levy payements and the short fall in funding of racing which must rings bells in goverments of tax avoiding measures not just for levies but general Tax matters.

You can't fault the likes of HRI for that as thats what they are there for. Whether its justify using the levy to been used as support for what do they say 20,000 people employed in the Industry and 1000s more getting benefit through Tourism is best left to goverment to decide.

TWO...To me what could be the real issue and probably the real achilles heel to the Betting industry is that once racing is linked to betting turnover its very hard for them to go further afield and break into betting markets like Japan, France and Australia among others.

All these country racing bodies are either 90 - 100% supported from its betting unlike the U/K and Ireland.

But if the U/K bookmakers could break into the likes of the Hong Kong betting market the Sky would be the limit when it comes to the profits they could make.

But as long as racing links itself to betting turnover these markets will be protected by their goverments or like in the French case made too punitive to operate in.

And as long as the U/K and Irish system is also based on it the bookmakes are never going to break into the more fruitful markets like the Far East and France...Cheers

PS... Neal...Good Luck in your project.

you should try the blog on Irish-racing.com it's their favourite subject on there

correct Steinbeck

a batch of IOU s every year.

Clonmel jackpot carried over today all of 300 euro

thanks lads