British Racing To Hold One-day Strike In Betting Tax Protest

British equine racing will spell connected onslaught connected 10 September, taking nan unprecedented action of refusing to title successful protestation against nan Government's projected taxation emergence connected betting connected nan sport.

As portion of its industry-wide Axe The Racing Tax campaign, 4 fixtures scheduled for that time astatine Lingfield Park, Carlisle, Uttoxeter and Kempton Park person been rearranged by nan British Horseracing Authority.

It is nan first clip nan athletics has voluntarily refused to title successful its modern history.

The governing assemblage is campaigning against nan Treasury's connection to present a azygous distant gambling tax, which would summation nan 15% taxation complaint paid by bookmakers connected racing and aligning it pinch online gaming, which is presently taxed astatine 21%.

The BHA says this would person a "destructive impact" connected nan manufacture pinch its economical study predicting an estimated £330m nonaccomplishment successful gross and putting 2,752 jobs astatine consequence successful nan first twelvemonth alone.

BBC Sport has contacted nan Department for Culture, Media and Sport for comment.

Chancellor of nan exchequer Rachel Reeves's autumn fund successful October is expected to bring taxation rises.

Brant Dunshea, main executive astatine nan British Horseracing Authority, said nan proposals "threaten nan very future" of nan sport.

Race meetings successful Britain return spot 363 days a year, unless called disconnected for adverse weather, equine microorganism outbreaks and nationalist crises specified arsenic nan Covid-19 pandemic.

The onslaught takes spot nan time earlier nan commencement of nan four-day St Leger show astatine Doncaster Racecourse.

"British Racing is already successful a precarious financial position and investigation has shown that a taxation emergence connected racing could beryllium catastrophic for nan athletics and nan thousands of jobs that trust connected it successful towns and communities crossed nan country," added Dunshea.

"This is nan first clip that British Racing has chosen not to title owed to Government proposals. We haven't taken this determination lightly but successful doing truthful we are urging nan Government to rethink this taxation connection to protect nan early of our athletics which is simply a cherished portion of Britain's practice and culture."

The cancelled fixtures person been rearranged for:

In addition, nan evening fixture astatine Kempton Park connected 15 September has been moved to nan evening of 18 September.

The BHA says nan horseracing manufacture is worthy £4.1 cardinal to nan UK system and supports 85,000 jobs.

"We dream nan Government will return a infinitesimal to bespeak connected nan harm this taxation will origin to a athletics successful which our state leads successful truthful galore ways," said Jim Mullen, CEO astatine The Jockey Club, which operates 15 racecourses.

"We dream this region for reflection will alteration nan Government to genuinely understand nan economical effect of horseracing and its taste value to communities crossed nan UK, arsenic good arsenic nan world-class racing festivals we host.

"After this play of reflection, we dream nan afloat implications will beryllium understood, and we tin forestall nan irreparable harm that threatens a athletics nan federation is, and should be, proud of."