BHA Chief Dismayed by Government's Levy Stance

The British Horseracing Authority's chief executive Brant Dunshea has expressed his frustration that government ministers have determined there is to be no change in the rate of Levy.

In a written statement Ian Murray, minister for creative industries, media and arts, said that due to the recent change in taxation in the gambling industry, “Government does not feel it is appropriate to pursue legislative changes to the rate of the horserace betting levy at this time.”

As a result, Dunshea has asked the government to look again at the introduction of affordability checks which he feels will fuel a rise in illegal betting.

Dunshea said on Wednesday, “It is disappointing that it has taken almost three years to determine there should be no change in the levy rate.

“Throughout protracted negotiations British horseracing engaged with the government in good faith, including providing clear evidence of a substantial – and growing – gap between our costs of providing the sport and the return we receive from betting.

“Following the BHA's lobbying campaign, the government in its last Budget recognised the vital cultural, social and economic importance of horse racing by not imposing an increase in betting duties on the sport.

“In its pre-Budget advice to the Treasury, the DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) also warned that 'unless a carve-out for racing was accompanied by an increase in the Horserace Betting Levy…racing would be unlikely to feel any benefit'.

“Today's WMS (Written Ministerial Statement) leaves unexplained why, only a few months after the Budget, the DCMS now believes there is no need to change the levy rate.”

He added, “It was the last Conservative government that introduced the concept of affordability checks on gambling, despite our repeated warnings of their impact on horse racing and the growth of illegal betting with all its associated risks for consumers.

“We agree that this Labour government should not consider itself bound by the policies of its predecessor.

“In which case it is surely time for the DCMS and HMT to recognise that adding more red tape to an already highly regulated sector will only fuel a significant rise in illegal betting, deprive horseracing of funding and prevent the government collecting millions of pounds in much-needed taxation.

“The government would be genuinely congratulated if it took this moment to recognise the impact that no increase in the Levy will have on horse racing's finances and stopped the introduction of affordability checks which threaten the sport's future.”