Levy reform just one option for income boost says BHA in response to John Gosden

Potential reform to the levy is just one of the revenue streams for British racing being assessed in a bid to protect the sport's future, the BHA outlined on Thursday.

Champion Flat trainer John Gosden on Tuesday called on the BHA to make changes to the levy a priority – the levy being money collected from bookmakers via a statutory tax from the gross profit of bets placed on British racing – in order to safeguard the future of the industry, which is feeling the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.

Among the proposals that have been floated to increase the funds scooped up for racing in Britain is the extension of the levy to bets placed in Britain on racing overseas, such as Ireland and France, with estimates that such wagers account for around 20 per cent of racing bets and could return £15-20 million to the sport.