UK Gambling Tax Rise Could Hit Horseracing & Online Gambling Industry

Horseracing in the United Kingdom is facing a significant threat as the government considers a potential hike in online gambling tax rates and raises concerns about the detrimental effects it could have on the funding and sustainability of horseracing.

While the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, did not mention gambling in his autumn statement to the House of Commons, the accompanying documents contained a potentially grave announcement for the industry. Under a chapter titled “Backing British Business,” the government revealed its intention to consult on proposals to consolidate remote gambling taxation into a single tax, rather than the existing three-tax structure. This consolidation would bring remote gambling, including online, telephone, TV, and radio gambling, under a unified tax regime.

Currently, general betting duty and pool betting duty stand at 15% of an operator’s profits, while remote gaming duty, which encompasses online casino games, is set at a higher rate of 21%. The government’s objective is to harmonize the tax rates across all forms of gambling and create a level playing field. However, this move has raised concerns among senior figures in the racing industry, who fear the implications of an increase in betting duty to align it with remote gaming duty.

The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that all gambling duties, both online and land-based, will generate nearly £3.5 billion in revenue by 2023-24. Analysts at Regulus Partners suggest that increasing the general betting duty for online gambling to 21% could result in an additional £150 million to £200 million per year for the Treasury. While this may appear beneficial to the government’s coffers, it could have severe consequences for the horseracing industry.

The proposed tax hike is likely to lead to higher margins on racing, reducing the availability of offers for punters and diminishing the funds available for sponsorship and promotion of the sport. This, in turn, could threaten the financial viability of horseracing as a whole. One industry insider expressed deep concern, stating, “A huge tax hike on sports betting coming on the back of affordability checks and everything else means the government is basically threatening to blow up the funding of horseracing. This is existential for horseracing.”

The racing industry is already grappling with significant financial challenges, including the potential impact of affordability checks outlined in the government’s gambling white paper published in April. These checks have the potential to further strain the industry’s finances. To mitigate the anticipated revenue loss from affordability checks, the government has expedited plans to review the levy, which is currently a major source of funding for horseracing.

The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport hopes that racing and bookmakers can reach an agreement on the levy, avoiding the need for government intervention. However, the potential gambling duty increase could also impact the levy process. Regulus Partners argues that while general tax increases and the levy should be considered separate issues, betting operators are likely to claim cost uncertainty as a challenge in reaching a settlement.

The Gambling Commission recently conducted a consultation on affordability checks, with industry and racing stakeholders eagerly awaiting the Commission’s next steps. The proposals put forward in the consultation have been estimated to cost British racing approximately £250 million over the next five years. Andrew Rhodes, the Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission, stated that they are making progress in reviewing the consultation responses and aim to report back early next year.

In addition to the potential consequences on horseracing, the autumn statement also brought disappointing news for land-based casinos. The gaming duty bands applied to UK casinos have been frozen and will not increase with inflation. This decision, according to the Betting and Gaming Council, effectively translates into a £5 million annual tax increase across the sector.

In response to the challenges faced by the racing industry, a petition has been launched, calling on the government to halt the implementation of affordability checks. Punters and racing enthusiasts are encouraged to sign the petition to demonstrate their support for the industry.