Bird calls for parity as he speaks out for the sport

WITH the gambling industry bracing itself for the likelihood of a sizeable hike in betting tax in chancellor Rachel Reeves’ new budget later this month, GBGB chief executive Mark Bird has spoken out about the potential damage it could cause to the sport.

Bird, who has written directly to Treasury chief secretary James Murray MP on behalf of the sport, was also invited to speak on the subject on leading channel GB News last night with journalist Martin Daubney.

He said: “I think people are now becoming more aware of and concerned by the potential implications of the proposed budget increases to a sport like greyhound racing.”

The new budget will be revealed on November 26 and it is believed a ten per cent increase from 15 per cent to 25 per cent will be imposed on online betting tax.

While there has been suggestions, including within an article published by The Telegraph, that the government wishes to protect horseracing from the tax hikes, those at the top fear the impact of the increased taxation rates if greyhound racing is not treated in the same way.

Bird said: “Around 60 per cent of what we receive as an industry from bookmakers comes through retail turnover. If bookmakers are forced to cut their cloth and start closing retail then of course there will be a knock-on effect.

“We are already half a million down on where we were last year.”

He added: “I’ve written to the chief secretary of the Treasury to explain these indirect consequences. We have an excellent working relationship with Defra and the DCMS, but this is a Treasury decision and I wanted to make sure we made things clear.”

In his letter, which has been published in full on the SIS website, Bird writes: “We would urge the Treasury to take a consistent and fair approach by ensuring that no additional tax burden is placed on licensed greyhound racing.”

Speaking yesterday, he added: “As also I told The Sun in a recent article they have published, the impact on greyhound racing, which relies in a major way on contributions by bookmakers, will lead to the demise of the sport.”

Meanwhile Jack Rankin, Conservative MP for Windsor whose constituency includes Ascot and Windsor racecourses, was yesterday praised by the GBGB as he raised a question to the Treasury minister, asking: “Can he assure the house that taxation on horseracing and greyhound racing flutters will not increase?”

The Sun article Bird refers to saw reporters visit the UK’s busiest track Romford, and stadium manager Karen McMillan was one of many at the Entain venue to underline the potential danger to the sport as she said: “This proposed tax could ruin the whole industry. People come to the track to bet but we can only fit so many.

“The races are beamed into betting shops and if they close because of the tax, there’ll be less places for the industry to earn and that’ll impact people coming here.”

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