Bookmaker racing sponsorship falls 17% as gambling tax rises bite

Bookmaker sponsorship of British horse racing has fallen 17% year on year, adding pressure to racecourses as gambling operators reduce spending following tax increases.

Analysis by the Racing Post compared race titles between 1 January and 28 September in 2025 and 2026. It found a substantial reduction in bookmaker backing, with all-weather racing particularly exposed.

The proportion of all-weather races carrying bookmaker sponsorship fell from 73.3% to 58.2%. Meanwhile, races without sponsorship or supported through contra arrangements increased by 16%. Other commercial and private sponsorship grew just 3%, suggesting replacement backers are not filling the gap.

Which sponsorships have been withdrawn?

Bet365 has ended backing for the Old Newton Cup and Lancashire Oaks at Haydock, alongside title sponsorship of Newmarket’s Craven meeting and races at its July meeting. 

"Regretfully, Bet365 made the very difficult decision not to continue sponsorship of a number of horseracing events this year. While these have been long-standing and much-valued partnerships, Bet365 is currently facing a highly competitive trading environment, plus increased regulatory and tax-related costs, which have unfortunately required us to make some tough commercial choices." - Bet365 spokesperson

The Haydock partnerships had lasted 23 years. Bet365 cited gambling tax rises when announcing the withdrawals in March.

Coral has also ended its sponsorship of the Coral Cup at Cheltenham. Parent company Entain attributed the decision to higher taxation and the need to reassess marketing investment. IT retained partnerships including the Coral-Eclipse and Ladbrokes King George, however.

However, the headline 17% decline measures race sponsorship numbers, rather than contract values. The published analysis does not establish a total cash loss or provide a comparable 2024 spending figure. Prize-money totals for bookmaker-backed races fell 2.5%, but that is a separate measure.

Why does an online casino tax affect racing?

Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40% on 1 April 2026. It applies to online gaming, including casino products, rather than horse racing bets.

UK horse racing will also remain subject to 15% General Betting Duty when the new 25% remote betting rate begins in April 2027.

Operators offering both betting and casino products face higher overall costs. Sponsorship is discretionary spending. This makes racing partnerships vulnerable when companies are wanting to make savings.

Bet365 has cited competitive conditions and regulatory costs alongside taxation. That supports a link between tax increases and withdrawals, without proving that tax alone explains every lost deal.

Can racing secure replacement funding?

There is no comprehensive published breakdown showing whether withdrawn sponsorship money has moved into football, esports or advertising. Entain’s stated response includes reduced marketing expenditure, indicating that some spending is being removed altogether.

Levy reform offers another potential funding route. However, ministers said in March that they would neither change the levy rate nor extend it to overseas racing. This leaves that option dependent on a change in government policy.