Plumpton Racecourse Advocates for Strategic Reform in UK Horse Racing Funding
Plumpton Racecourse Supports Major Changes to Racing Finance
Plumpton Racecourse in Sussex has taken a distinctive stance by endorsing a significant proposal aimed at reforming the financial framework of UK horse racing. The racecourse recently submitted a detailed paper to HM Treasury backing the Social Market Foundation’s plan. This plan suggests doubling the Horserace Betting Levy to 20% while simultaneously reducing the general betting duty on racing bets to 5%.
A Balanced Redistribution Could Strengthen the Sport
The Social Market Foundation’s report, titled Duty to Differentiate, advocates that adjusting the tax structure could help stabilize the fragile financial situation of horse racing without increasing the overall tax burden on operators. Presently, bookmakers contribute 10% through the Horserace Betting Levy plus an additional 15% general betting duty. The proposal aims to shift these amounts, increasing the levy to better fund prize money, breeding programs, and industry infrastructure.
Currently generating around £100 million annually, the Horserace Betting Levy could potentially raise an additional £100 million each year under the new scheme. This increase may effectively double the prize money pool, helping British racing to regain competitiveness against global racing centers like France, Japan, and Australia.
Our proposals are not about securing subsidies, but about restoring the principles that underpin the Levy — fairness, reciprocity, and sustainability.
— Plumpton Racecourse Statement
In its submission named Securing Racing’s Future, Plumpton Racecourse emphasizes that the plan promotes a fair and sustainable financial rebalancing rather than a government subsidy. Highlighting a troubling 74% decline in returns for owners in 2019, the racecourse warns that this unsustainable trend could cause owners to reduce investment and move horses overseas, putting the entire sport at risk of decline.
The Urgent Need for Reform in UK Horse Racing
Plumpton’s advocacy comes at a pivotal moment, closely following an unprecedented nationwide halt of all UK racing events. This shutdown was a coordinated industry protest against what many perceive as excessive taxation by the Treasury. Unlike other racing entities pushing for general tax relief, Plumpton proposes a focused redistribution of tax revenue directly benefiting the sport.
The management at Plumpton argues that these reforms would provide long-term financial stability by ensuring that betting revenue is more effectively channeled to support racing activities. They caution that countries such as Italy, which allowed their horse racing industries to weaken, have faced extreme challenges in revitalizing the sport. Plumpton warns that the UK could face a similar decline without timely intervention.
Without reform, British racing faces continued decline: a shrinking horse population, reduced investment, job losses, and the erosion of its global standing.
— Plumpton Racecourse Statement
The proposal has sparked debate within the industry. While some view the Levy increase as an additional tax burden, others support it as a necessary structural change. Plumpton’s stance reflects a growing consensus that the survival and growth of British horse racing depend on significant reform, though the exact approach remains a topic of discussion.
