Overview

• Goodwood chief executive Adam Waterworth said the impact of harmonising betting duty could be “bad or catastrophic,” calling it a serious threat to how the sport is funded.
• British racing will stage a voluntary one‑day blackout on September 10, coordinated by the BHA alongside an ‘Axe the Racing Tax’ event in Westminster.
• The proposal under consultation would align remote betting with higher gaming taxes, a change industry figures argue would erode racing income and prize money.
• The Times reports strains with bookmakers after they were not briefed in advance about the blackout, drawing criticism from Betting and Gaming Council chair Michael Dugher, even as Flutter’s Seb Butterworth urged caution without a public row.
• Jockey Club chair Jim Mullen warned the projected hit could force some businesses and racecourses to close, while commentary cautioned a higher duty may push bettors to unregulated sites and reduce the roughly £380 million bookmakers channel to racing.