Paul Darling reappointed for second term as Levy Board chairman

Paul Darling has been reappointed for a second term as chairman of the Levy Board by culture secretary Lucy Frazer and is set to stay in the role until the end of March 2028.

The announcement from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport comes with Darling still having more than eight months of his first four-year term still to run.

Darling, whose previous roles in the sport have included being a government-appointed member of the Levy Board between 2008 and 2014, said: "I am delighted that the secretary of state has invited me to carry on my work at the Levy Board until April 2028. I am particularly pleased to have been reappointed so early in my first term. I much appreciate this endorsement of the whole Levy Board’s work."

The Levy Board collects the levy from bookmakers who pay a percentage of their gross profits on British horseracing. The majority of that income is spent in direct support of horseracing.

The levy yield for 2022-23 is set to be around £99 million, higher than the Levy Board had previously anticipated, although Darling has warned that turnover on British racing has declined.

The Levy Board will play an important role in British racing's ongoing industry strategy work and is set to make its final decisions this autumn about how much funding it might provide for the sport's premierisation project.

Darling added: "The Levy Board has a unique position – particularly as the custodian of public money. Whilst a statutory body we are of course heavily engaged with racing, betting and other stakeholders. I am very keen to continue to play my role in the ongoing development of the Levy Board in this unique framework. I express renewed thanks to [chief executive] Alan Delmonte and his brilliant team."

The secretary of state has also reappointed current government-appointed Levy Board member Anne Lambert for a second term running until the end of 2026.

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