Bookmaker sponsorship of British racing has dropped by 17 per cent since the imposition of higher taxes in last year’s budget, analysis by the Racing Post shows.
Sponsorship by major bookmakers such as Bet365, Betfred and Flutter Entertainment has fallen by upward of 15 per cent. Unibet have cut back by 18.5 per cent, JenningsBet by 33 per cent, and Star Sports and BetGoodwin sponsorships are down more than 80 per cent in a year.
The cutbacks have contributed to a 2.5 per cent fall in prize-money totals for bookmaker-backed races in 2026, which is a real-terms drop of 5.5 per cent when adjusted for inflation.
This dip comes as racing faces the prospect of another funding shock in this month’s budget if machine games duty is increased.
