The British Horseracing Authority has announced that no race meetings will take place in Britain on September 10 as the sport protests the Government’s proposed tax rise on horserace betting.
This will be the first time that the sport has voluntarily refused to race in its modern history.
The announcement comes as British Racing’s ‘Axe the Racing Tax’ campaign gears up in advance of the Autumn Budget.
The campaign is urging the Government to axe the Treasury’s proposal to bring existing online betting duties into one single rate tax band.
Four scheduled race meetings on September 10 at Lingfield Park, Carlisle, Uttoxeter and Kempton Park will no longer take place that day and will be rescheduled.
On the same day, the sport will host a major campaign event in Westminster where senior leaders will be joined by owners, trainers and jockeys to highlight the threat of the Treasury’s proposal on an industry which is worth £4.1 billion to the UK economy.
Economic analysis commissioned by the BHA has shown that aligning the current 15 per cent tax rate paid by bookmakers on racing with that of online games of chance – currently taxed at 21 per cent – could have a destructive impact on the sport, with a £330 million revenue hit to the industry in the first five years and putting 2,752 jobs at risk in the first year alone.
This is because betting operators are likely to seek to offset any tax rises through increasing prices, cutting bonuses, reducing advertising and marketing budgets.
Racing’s decision not to race on September 10 is unprecedented. Race meetings in Britain take place on 363 days a year, with the exception of certain seasonal holidays.
With the exception of meetings being called off due to adverse weather, equine virus outbreak and national crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, this will be the first time in history that the sport has taken a collective decision not to race in protest at a Government proposal.
Brant Dunshea, chief executive at the British Horseracing Authority said: “We have decided to take the unprecedented decision to cancel our planned racing fixtures on 10th 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.”
