Gambling reform, racing and the levy absent from the Conservative's general election manifesto

Punters and racing were offered no additional clarity on the future of gambling reform under a Conservative government with that subject, the sport and the levy absent from the party’s general election manifesto.

On Tuesday, prime minister Rishi Sunak, whose Richmond constituency contains Catterick racecourse, unveiled the Conservative's manifesto at Silverstone racetrack, with commitments to lower taxes, reduce immigration and boost defence spending as well as initiatives for home buyers.

However, there was no mention in either the 80-page manifesto or the accompanying costing document on the party’s plans for gambling. The Conservatives did not respond to a Racing Post request for comment or additional information.

In April 2023, the Conservative government introduced a white paper on proposed reform to the gambling sector following a pledge by the party in its 2019 election manifesto to review legislation.

The proposals have impacted the finances of British racing primarily through betting operators, under pressure from the Gambling Commission, imposing affordability checks on punters, with these having taken place since before last April's announcement.

In February, a Westminster Hall debate on affordability checks was held following a petition on the subject reaching 100,000 signatures from the public in less than a month. Several Conservative MPs spoke during the debate against the checks, with a group of backbench MPs also holding a meeting with the prime minister to further emphasise the damage checks were having.

The Conservatives are forecast to lose power for the first time since 2010 at the election on July 4 with the Labour party holding a considerable lead in opinion polls. Labour is due to launch its manifesto on Thursday.

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