Amid the threat of higher taxes and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) cancelling a race meeting in protest, a new survey has revealed UK gamblers consider the pastime an integral part of British culture.
distinctive part of the nation’s cultural identity”
A YouGov poll conducted on behalf of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) found that 74% of regular gamblers see betting as “a distinctive part of the nation’s cultural identity.”
The BGC took to X on Tuesday to share the Sun’s “great coverage” of its poll:
In a statement, BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said that gamblers were “clear” on the importance of gambling and that it wasn’t “just a leisure activity, but a valued and long-standing part of Britain’s cultural and sporting landscape.”
Hurst referenced casino, bingo, and multiple pro sports that allow “millions of adults” every month to bet safely and responsibly.
“BGC members are proud to support jobs on the high street, invest in local communities and grassroots sport, and contribute billions in taxes to fund essential public services,” Hurst concluded.
The survey and the BGC’s comments provide a somewhat temporary balm from the looming tax decision and the BHA’s related boycott of race meetings on September 10. The BHA’s move marks the first time in British horseracing’s modern history that the sport “voluntarily refused to race.”
To add further complexity to the saga, the Financial Times on Monday cited respected former Paddy Power chief Stewart Kenny as stating UK sportsbooks’ oft trotted-out claim that gambling tax increases will feed the black market and take money from the UK Treasury was both “scaremongering” and untrue.
