Horse racing in 'major trouble', warns jockey

Jockey Oisin Murphy said a tax rise in horse racing could cause "major trouble"

Horse racing could be in "major trouble" if it was taxed the same as online gambling, a jockey has warned.

British horse racing is staging a one-day strike today in protest against the government's proposed tax rise on betting on the sport.

Champion jockey Oisin Murphy said the sport indirectly employed over 80,000 people, and a tax rise could put them at risk.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Dan Tomlinson, said the gambling consultation was about "levelling the playing field and simplifying the system".

"We are working closely with the industry to understand any potential impacts," he said.

"The chancellor has been clear that speculation on tax rises, which is what this is, is not only inaccurate, but also irresponsible."

'Huge enjoyment'

The Treasury is looking to bring existing online betting duties into one single rate.

This could increase the 15% tax rate paid by bookmakers on racing and align it with online gaming, such as casino and slot games, which is currently taxed at 21%.

Trainers and racers in Lambourn, Berkshire - where, according to data from 2019, 30% of local jobs are connected to the sport - said they feared it would stop people following horse racing, and lose them income.

Murphy said horse racing betting was not the same as "betting on a slot machine or in a casino".

"You... look at the horses racing... and you try and work out a winner," he said.

"You obviously need luck... but there is a method to it, and also it's an industry that employs 85,000 people indirectly."

He added it was a sport that people got "a huge amount of enjoyment" from following.

"I really hope government realise that if horse racing isn't treated in a different way to other betting facilities and sports, [it] is going to be in major trouble," he said.

Charlie Hills, a racehorse trainer in Lambourn, said most of the sport's income came from betting.

He said in Lambourn, a tax rise could have "a domino effect" on other connected industries, such as hospitality.

No fixtures will take place on Monday, after four meetings were rescheduled by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA)

But Tim Cairns, senior policy manager for Christian Action Research and Education, said the industry caused "significant amounts of harm".

"Horse racing isn't this safe, 'just have a bit of fun down the race track'," he said.

"Like all forms of gambling, [it] causes problems."