BRITISH horse racing will be destroyed by a punishing new betting tax, trainer John Gosden has warned.
Ministers are consulting on plans to raise tax on racing bets online from 15 to 21 per cent, in line with slot machines and online casinos.
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But the six-time champion trainer says it will hammer jobs.
He said the move would “cause a massive retraction of our business”
Speaking at Glorious Goodwood, Mr Gosden told the BBC: “It is not the same thing to have a bet on a horse.
“You have got to think about the ground, the draw, the quality of the horse, its form, the jockey, everything.
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“It’s not a blind thing you just do on a phone.
“I don’t want to see our industry destroyed.
“It would be tragic.
“We are world leaders.”
The warning comes after industry analysis revealed a tax raid would cost racing £330million over five years and put 2,752 jobs at risk.
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