Betting Tax Increase Hints in Ireland

Is the rise imminent? This week's news include a hint made by the Irish Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney that an increase in the land and online betting tax is virtually imminent, in part to fund the horse racing industry. He explained that there's no sense for the government to continue paying into the Horse and Greyhound Fund, when the industry could be self-financing. Prior to this, the sector requested the current 1 percent tax to be doubled as a support to the industry, and extended to online gambling. According to Minister Coveney, "I would like to ensure that it is actually self-funded by a taxation on betting, and I'm not satisfied that the decisions of governments over the last 15 years have been the correct ones."