HBLB

A contribution of £28.1 million towards the funding of the UK racing's fixture list from Sept. 1-Dec. 31 was agreed to by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) on Monday. Of that amount, £21.8 million will go toward prize money, bringing the HBLB's annual prize money grants to just over £78 million, 32% higher than the £59.3 million originally approved for 2020 prior to the disruption caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These 2021 figures do not include the sums for further prize money and regulatory grants announced as part...

Approximately £80 million will be the Levy income for the year that ended on Mar. 31, 2021, the Horserace Betting Levy Board announced on Monday. The figure is a result of provisional submissions to date from most Levy-paying bookmakers. Originally, as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed in the UK, the HBLB had estimated a Levy return between £76-£85 million. Racing in the UK was halted from mid-March until June 1, 2020. HBLB Chairman Paul Darling commented, "There was no British racing for the first two months of the Levy year and...

A financial contribution has been agreed upon by the Levy to ensure the continuation of the career-ending insurance scheme for jockeys for another six months, the Horserace Betting Levy Board announced on Wednesday. The grant, which will total up to £80,000 max, will be combined with funding provided by the Professional Jockeys' Association (PJA), as the PJA continues to search for a sponsor in the long term. "This scheme has been in place for almost 10 years, paid for by commercial sponsorship and contributions from jockeys," said HBLB Chairman Paul...

There will be 14 additional fixtures added to the UK racing calendar following approval by the Board of the British Horseracing Authority. The proposal was submitted by the Racecourse Association (RCA) which has the full support of the Horsemen's Group (HB). The fixtures have been added to shore up racecourse finances, as well as generate a positive return for the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB). The 14 fixtures are as follows: Flat Fixtures: 15/11/20 Southwell - Afternoon 22/11/20 Wolverhampton - Afternoon 23/11/20 Chelmsford City - Floodlit 24/11/20 Lingfield Park -...

The 2018/2019 Horserace Betting Levy Board (HLBL)'s annual report was released on Tuesday. HBLB Chairman Paul Lee, whose 10 1/2-year term ended on Mar. 31, noted the following: the UK government continues to work with the HBLB and other facets of the industry to maximise the benefit of changes made to the Levy in 2017, including primarily the capture of Levy income from bets placed by British-based customers with bookmakers outside Britain; the Levy income was adjusted from £78 million to £83 million after an agreement between the HBLB and...

During a time when racing's finances are under increasing pressure, there was some good news in Britain on Friday from the Levy Board with the prediction that the Levy income for the year which ended March 31, 2020, will be in the region of £97m. That figure, which is up on the previous forecast of £90m to £95m, is derived from provisional submissions to date from the majority of Levy-paying bookmakers. "It is very welcome that Levy yield for the past year looks like being in line with if not...

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) and the Racing Foundation have announced an immediate £22 million hardship funding package to support the British racing industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two organisations have combined with other racing bodies to identify the areas within the sport most in need of emergency support. The HBLB is primarily involved with supporting racecourses currently hit by the suspension of racing and a cash sum of £13.5m is being made available in that area, while £8 million has been released for racing's participants, including for...