Historic Day: British Racing to Halt in Protest Over New Racing Tax
- Turf Diario
- Aug 17
- 2 min read
On Sept. 10, there will be no racing at Lingfield, Carlisle, Uttoxeter, or Kempton Park; the BHA is aiming to block a tax increase that threatens the sport’s stability
By Diego H. Mitgstein
What once seemed unthinkable will finally happen: on Wednesday, Sept. 10, there will be no racing in Great Britain. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced Sunday that it has decided to suspend all scheduled meetings on that date as a protest against the government’s proposal to increase taxes on horseracing bets—a plan that, according to the BHA, threatens the very future of British racing.
This is an unprecedented move in the modern history of the sport. Previously, racing has only been forced to stop due to exceptional circumstances such as health crises, equine virus outbreaks, extreme weather, or the Covid-19 pandemic. Never before has the industry voluntarily halted racing to make its voice heard.
The four racecourses scheduled to run that day—Lingfield Park, Carlisle, Uttoxeter, and Kempton Park—will reschedule their fixtures. The timing is deliberate: it comes on the eve of the historic St Leger Festival at Doncaster, one of the most celebrated weekends of the season.
The protest is part of the “Axe the Racing Tax” campaign, launched by the BHA and key industry stakeholders ahead of the UK Treasury’s upcoming Autumn Budget. The proposed measure would align the tax on online betting operators for horseracing—currently 15%—with the 21% applied to other forms of online gambling. According to an economic study commissioned by the BHA, the change could slash £330 million in revenue over the first five years and result in the loss of 2,752 jobs in the first year alone.
The calculation is straightforward: if approved, betting operators would pass the higher tax onto customers, raising prices, cutting promotions, and reducing marketing and advertising spend—factors crucial to betting turnover on races.
The social and economic impact of British racing is immense: the sport generates an estimated £4.1 billion annually, supports 85,000 direct and indirect jobs, and attracts nearly 5 million spectators each year, making it the country’s second-most popular sporting spectacle.
Grant Dunshea, BHA Chief Executive, was emphatic in his statements:
“We have taken the unprecedented step of canceling our Sept. 10 fixtures to show the government the serious consequences the Treasury’s proposal could bring. This decision was not made lightly, but we believe it is the way to urge authorities to rethink this tax and safeguard the future of our sport, which is part of Britain’s heritage and culture.”
Dunshea also highlighted the current state of the industry:
“Racing in Great Britain is already in a fragile financial position, and research has shown that a tax increase could be catastrophic for the sport and the thousands of jobs it supports in communities across the country.”
On Sept. 10, while horses remain in the stables and racecourses fall silent, the action will move to Parliament in Westminster, where jockeys, trainers, owners, and officials will lead a demonstration to reinforce their message to lawmakers and government officials. The show of unity aims to exert pressure ahead of a political decision that will shape the future of British racing for years to come.
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