GBGB chairman Davies laments Budget decision on machine duty

GBGB chairman Sir Philip Davies has said that Chancellor John Healey's Budget announcement that machine games duty (MGD) is to increase to 25 per cent will make it "harder for greyhound racing source the financial support it needs."

Speaking to the Racing Post, Davies said: "Just because a tax rise is smaller than feared does not make it good news.

"Moving MGD from 20 to 25 per cent is a quarter added to the rate. For businesses operating on tight margins, that is a substantial additional burden.

"MGD applies to machines rather than greyhound bets, but both sit within the same betting shop business.

"If that business becomes unviable, the consequences reach beyond the high street to our tracks, trainers and kennel staff.

"The government seem to think that jobs in the gambling sector somehow count for less than other jobs, even though they are working in a perfectly legal and
government-regulated industry.

"The people doing those jobs pay rent, support families and spend their wages in local businesses like everyone else.

"For greyhound racing, the cumulative impact matters. Further pressure on betting operators can only reduce the income that supports our sport and our investment in world-leading welfare initiatives.

"The government is a valued supporter of greyhound racing. The Treasury needs to understand that warm words aren’t enough. We also need financial support which this budget has made harder for us to source.”