British horseracing to go on strike in protest against rise in betting taxes

LONDON (AP) — British horseracing will stage an unprecedented one-day strike on Sept. 10 to protest a proposed rise in taxes on race betting.

The four scheduled meetings that day — at Carlisle, Uttoxeter, Lingfield and Kempton — will not take place after agreements between the owners of the courses and the British Horseracing Authority, making it the first time the sport in Britain has voluntarily refused to race in modern history.

The BHA set up the “Axe the Racing Tax” campaign in response to proposals to replace the existing three-tax structure of online gambling duties with a single tax, with fears the current 15% duty on racing could be increased to the 21% levied on games of chance.

Brant Dunshea, chief executive at the British Horseracing Authority, said the strike intends to “highlight to (the) 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,” Dunshea said.

“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.”

The British government said it was bringing the “treatment of online betting in line with other forms of online gambling to cut down bureaucracy.”

“It is not about increasing or decreasing rates,” the government said, “and we welcome views from all stakeholders including businesses, trade bodies, the third sector and individuals.”

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