The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said it will cancel racing at four UK venues on 10 September 2025 to protest a proposed betting-tax increase. The Treasury is considering raising the rate on horse racing and sports betting from 15% to 21%; the BHA estimates the cancellations could cost the industry about £750,000.
The proposed tax and planned stoppage could affect racing fixtures and the economics of betting operators.
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The British Horseracing Authority said 363 racing professionals signed an open letter opposing a proposed Remote Betting & Gaming Duty for UK gambling verticals. The letter cited estimates of a GBP 66 million impact if taxes were harmonised at 21%, and a loss of more than GBP 160 million a year at a 40% rate, with 2,000 direct jobs at risk in the first year at that rate.
British Horseracing Authority chief executive Brant Dunshea said UK gambling tax increases could have a knock-on effect on horseracing. He welcomed a carve-out for sport but said it would require a collaborative approach with operators as remote gaming duty rises.
The British Horseracing Authority suspended four UK race meetings on 10 September, reportedly as part of a protest against a proposed increase in betting tax. The proposal would raise the rate on horse racing and sports betting from 15% to 21%; the BHA said its campaign petition had received more than 12,000 signatures.
BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst said the UK budget’s exemption for horse racing from the higher General Betting Duty was only cosmetic. She argued that the increase in Remote Gaming Duty from 21% to 40% could affect racing because betting operators fund sponsorships, media rights and the Horserace Betting Levy.
UK Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury Dan Tomlinson said the government had not announced an increase in tax on horserace betting and had no plans to change the existing tax break for racecourse betting. Plumpton Racecourse director Thomas Savill warned that any increase would harm the industry, while the British Horseracing Authority said a proposed rise could cost £330 million over five years. The government said its wider gambling consultation aims to simplify the system and level the playing field.