British Racing Strikes First Time, Cancels Events Over Betting Tax Rise

British horse racing is set to stage an unprecedented one-day strike on September 10, canceling all four scheduled fixtures at Carlisle, Lingfield, Uttoxeter, and Kempton in protest against the Treasury's proposal to raise betting taxes on horserace profits from 15 to 21 percent. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and key industry stakeholders, including the Jockey Club, warn that this tax increase could cause irreparable financial damage, potentially resulting in losses of up to £66 million or more, threatening 85,000 jobs and risking the industry's economic contribution of over £4 billion. The strike aims to pressure the government to reconsider aligning horserace betting tax with higher rates applied to other gambling sectors such as casinos and slots. Industry leaders have expressed concerns that bookmakers might respond by increasing prices, cutting bonuses, and reducing marketing budgets, which could exacerbate the sport's financial challenges. The coordinated strike reflects the unified opposition within the sport to what they perceive as an existential threat, with hopes that the government will recognize the harm this tax rise would cause to a sport that remains a major cultural and economic contributor in the UK. This move marks the first voluntary blackout in British racing's modern history.