British racing has stepped up its campaign against plans to impose additional betting tax by calling a one-day blackout of all racing fixtures next month.
In a co-ordinated approach, the British Horseracing Authority and the owners of the four venues scheduled to hold meetings on Wednesday, September 10, Carlisle, Lingfield, Uttoxeter and Kempton, have opted to cancel the four scheduled meetings on that day as a means of protest.
The move, which could cost the sport around £700,000, has been born out of frustration with the likelihood that the UK government’s plans to raise the current 15 per cent duty to a 21 per cent tax rate.
"The sport has come together today, and by cancelling racing fixtures, we hope the government will take a moment to reflect on the harm this tax will cause to a sport in which our country leads in so many ways,” Jim Mullen, the chief executive of the Jockey Club, which owns Carlisle and Kempton, said in a statement to The Times.
It is believed to be the first time in recent history that there has been a co-ordinated industry response resulting in a one-day blackout.
A BHA-led 'Axe The Racing Tax' campaign has put forward strong opposition to Treasury plans to impose a single Remote Betting and Gaming Duty. That would put racing on the same footing as other forms of gambling.
It is estimated that an additional tax could represent a £66 million impact on the bottom line of UK Racing.
The four race meetings due to be held on September 10 will be rescheduled on other racedays, but the action comes on the day prior to the St Leger festival at Doncaster.
Bren O’Brien
Martin Cruddace, the chief executive of Arena Racing Company, which operates Lingfield and Uttoxeter, said it was vital for racing to stand up to any increased tax regime which puts it on par with other forms of gambling.
"Unlike online casino games, British horseracing makes an enormous contribution to society and employment, has vastly different rates of gambling-related harm and is not available every ten seconds, 24 hours a day,” he told the Racing Post.
"We have always been taxed and regulated differently, and it is imperative for our future that we continue to be so. If the government wants Britain to be a world leader in online [casinos] and a world pauper in a sport at the heart of its culture, then tax harmonisation will achieve that aim."
The BHA has described a potential tax rise as ‘catastrophic’ to the industry.
