More than 350 key figures within British horse racing, including the likes of Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, John Gosden and Oisin Murphy, have signed an open letter calling on the government to abandon their gambling tax hike plans. The letter, addressed to chancellor Rachel Reeves, warns of the ‘irreversible consequences’ that would be caused to […]
Government
Paddy Power to Close 57 Betting Shops in UK and Ireland as Gambling Tax Fears Deepen
Domestic gambling giant Paddy Power is to close 57 of its betting shops in the UK and Ireland, with nearly 250 members of staff facing redundancy. Increasing cost pressures and challenging market conditions have been cited as the main reasons, with the government’s upcoming Autumn Budget likely to present even more problems for the sector. […]
William Hill Could Shed Up to 1,500 Jobs Amid Gambling Tax Hike Fallout
Any gambling tax rises this November are expected to lead to tough trading conditions in the sector – with William Hill fearing the worst for their retail operation. Evoke, the holding company of William Hill’s high street assets, has warned that they could close as many as 200 betting shops if the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, […]
More Than 100 Labour MPs Apply Gambling Tax Pressure on the Chancellor
An open letter to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has been signed by more than 100 members of the Labour Party demanding a hike in gambling tax duty. In the letter, the lead signatories – Alex Ballinger and Beccy Cooper – claim that there’s a ‘compelling’ case for gambling duty to be increased from its current […]
BHA Calls Out Government’s Gambling Tax Overhaul as ‘Gravest Risk’ to Racing’s Future
The threat of a possible £66 million loss in revenue each year has led the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) to label the government’s proposed gambling tax reform as the ‘gravest risk’ in the sport’s history. The organisation has called upon all racing stakeholders to lobby ministers to U-turn on plans to raise the amount of […]