Sports Betting News: BGC Urges Government to Rethink Tax Proposal

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has urged the United Kingdom government to drop plans to implement a new gambling tax simplification measure. 
 
Chancellor Jemery Hunt recently announced he is looking to bring general and pool betting duties into line with the 21 percent rate currently applied to remote gaming. 
 
The BGC argue this will be hugely damaging to several sports including horse racing. Find out more about this and other major stories from the sports betting industry. 

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt not to replace the betting industry’s current three-tier tax system. 
 
The BGC says the proposal to standardise tax rates across the sector would result in UK betting sites making lower margins, leaving operators with less funding to sponsor and promote major events. 
 
Horse racing is particularly under threat from the controversial proposals, with the sport heavily reliant on the income it currently receives from the betting industry. 

Dublin City Council will launch a test case aimed at curbing the growing number of illegal gambling advertising banners during major sporting tournaments. 
 
Land-based betting outlets are currently granted a four-week grace period to comply with orders to remove unauthorised banners, which critics argue is an ineffectual timeframe. 
 
The council’s planning department wants to close this particular loophole and will use the test case to determine the feasibility of implementing stiffer controls. 

Paddy Power has admitted that plans to change the treble 20 segment to green on the board for the upcoming PDC World Darts Championship were a charitable hoax. 
 
The firm has confirmed it will actually donate £1,000 to ProstateUK for every 180 hit by the players at the tournament, which could end up costing them more than £1 million. 
 
Leading betting apps rate Luke Humphries as the favourite to win the event and he will likely be at the forefront of the battle to top the 180 scoring charts at the Alexendra Palace.