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Back to listsUk Betting Tax In No Way Compares To India's Gst On Betting...
By Murari | 13-Sep-2025There has been a great deal of noise and misunderstanding about the impact of the proposed tax increase in the UK Betting tax from 15% to 21%.
A report commissioned by the BHA claims there will be a loss of £66 million in the first year, resulting in the loss of (a suspiciously specific) 2752 jobs.
The British Horseracing Industry called a 'no races' strike on Wednesday, and various prominent faces (John Gosden, William Haggas and the Hon. Harry Herbert amongst them) stood outside Parliament to make their voices heard. We have all been asked to write to our MPs (which I have done) to express concern about the whole business.
My sense is this is all a bit of an overreaction. Let us try to shed some light, rather than noise, on the issue.
(I am summarising the below points from a piece written by John Brown - CEO and Chairman of Bookmakers William Hill - in the excellent magazine produced by ex-Trainer Mark Johnson, a copy of which he sends to me every month).
1. The 'Betting Tax' levied on British punters (we could choose whether to pay it on our bets or any winnings, at the time of placing the bet) - was in fact abolished in 2001.
2. It was replaced by a 15% tax on the Gross Profits of Bookies (online and Betting shops), levied on Bookies. Not the punter directly.
3. The Bookies were also to pay an annual Levy to the Racing Industry based on Betting Profits (This Levy was £100 million in 2023/24)
3. Profits on online games of chance (bingo, roulette, slots) were charged to the Bookies at the rate of 21%.
4. The proposal to equalise tax on sports betting with games of chance at 21% is what is causing all this heat and noise.
The simple fact is that Bookies would have to see a 66% fall in Betting Profits for the Horseracing Industry to lose £66 million per annum. (Based on the £100 million currently paid to the Industry via the Levy).
It is highly unlikely, in my view, that a 6% increase in taxes on Bookies for sports betting will result in a 66% loss in Bookies' profits.
A 21% tax on British Bookies' profits vs 48% GST on Indian bets? No comparison.
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