Bird in further call for Budget clarification on duty increase
GBGB chief executive Mark Bird has called for the Treasury to respond regarding the betting duty situation which will apply to greyhound raicng following changes announced in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget.
Increases were confirmed for both general betting duty and remote gaming duty from April 2026. However, general betting duty in betting shops will remain at 15 per cent, while it will remain at that level bets for placed online on horseracing but increase to 25 per cent on other sports, such as football, from April 2027.
Bird said: “We’re very disappointed to see that greyhound racing wasn’t mentioned directly as being exempt from the rise in betting taxation, which is due to come into place in 2027.
"Given the inarguable similarities between our licensed sport and horseracing, we have been fully of the view that any exemption for the latter must necessarily be matched for greyhound racing and had already written to officials and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for clarity on this.
"There should be obvious parity on this issue, which we have been clear would have far-reaching unintended consequences for our sport, as it would for horseracing.
"We will of course be continuing to make the case as we await a formal response from the Minister.”
Jonathan Kay