Betting shops not eligible for Sunak’s business rates relief
In light of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s package of new measures to support UK businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has since been confirmed that betting shops and casinos will not qualify for relief in business rates.
Backed by PM Boris Johnson, Sunak announced that the Treasury department had reserved £330 billion in business loans (equivalent to 15% of GDP) to help the UK economy overcome COVID-19 disruptions.
Sunak specified that businesses listed under the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors would be able to make insurance claims against their policies, while also remaining exempt from business rates for 12 months.
However, it has since been confirmed that both betting shops and casinos would not be eligible for business rates relief.
In response, Betting and Gaming Council chief executive Michael Dugher told the Racing Post: “The chancellor promised he’d do ‘whatever it takes’ and that help would be available to all businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure. That is manifestly not the case when it comes to business rate relief.
“This decision is a hammer blow to an industry that pays billions in tax, employs 70,000 hardworking, decent people in this country, and it is one that helps keep sports alive, in particular horseracing.
“Without any form of support or help we will see the wholesale collapse of a number of businesses in our industry.”
Dugher said the industry was ready to help the government tackle the crisis, with members offering to free up staff time to help and to offer the use of premises should they be required.
He added: “We will continue to press the Treasury and government to reconsider this hugely damaging and frankly rather stupid decision.”
Dugher’s sentiment was supported by MPs Laurence Robertson and Conor McGinn, the co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Racing and Bloodstock Group, who requested that the government provides financial support to both the racing and betting sectors.
In a joint statement, they said: “These are unprecedented times that require the whole nation and government to work together to tackle the coronavirus public health emergency. In dealing with the economic crisis that accompanies it, much has rightly been made of the urgent need for government to support the leisure, hospitality, entertainment and retail sectors, and protect jobs.
“We are clear that the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people who rely on the horseracing and betting industries must be a key part of that; from racecourses such as Cheltenham and Haydock in our constituencies, to training yards as well as the bookie on the high street.
“We will be fully behind racing in the challenging and uncertain times ahead. We now call on the government to play its role in securing the future and sustainability of our great sport, and supporting the industry which makes such a significant financial and social contribution to its success.”
Source: SBC News
