British horse racing goes ahead with strike action in tax protest
Summary
British horse racing staged an unprecedented one-day strike on 10 September 2025 to protest proposed changes to online gambling taxation. Four meetings (Carlisle, Uttoxeter, Lingfield and Kempton) were cancelled and later rescheduled after agreements between racecourse owners and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). The BHA’s “Axe the Racing Tax” campaign warns a move from the current tiered system to a single tax could lift the 15% racing duty towards the 21% rate for games of chance.
Economic analysis commissioned by the BHA estimates the change could cost the sport at least £66 million in the first year and put about 2,750 jobs at risk. BHA chairman Charles Allen described the proposals as an existential threat to racing’s funding model and the communities it supports. The government says it is seeking to simplify the tax system and has not announced a rate increase; a decision is expected in the Budget on 26 November 2025.
Key Points
- This was the first modern voluntary refusal to race in Britain – a one-day strike organised to protest proposed betting tax changes.
- Four meetings were cancelled and rescheduled after local agreements with the BHA.
- The BHA warns a shift to a single online gambling tax could cost the sport at least £66 million and jeopardise around 2,750 jobs in year one.
- Racing argues the current 15% duty is essential to its funding model; the government says no tax rise has been announced and the review aims to simplify rules.
- A final decision on any change is expected in the Government’s Budget on 26 November 2025.
Context and relevance
The dispute matters beyond racetracks: racing is the UK’s second-largest spectator sport, supports around 85,000 jobs and delivers over £4 billion in annual economic value. Any significant tax shift could affect prize money, grassroots racing, breeding and thousands of livelihoods in rural communities. The story sits at the intersection of sport, public policy and the wider gambling tax review that the Treasury says is seeking parity across online products.
Why should I read this?
Quick and blunt: if you care about racing, jobs in rural Britain, or how gambling taxes get reworked, this affects you. We’ve trimmed the detail so you can see the stakes fast — funding model under threat, lots of jobs on the line, and a Budget decision coming up that could change everything.
Source
Source: https://cdcgaming.com/british-horse-racing-goes-ahead-with-strike-action-in-tax-protest/