Irish betting tax hike appears inevitable

The Irish Sun reports that Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has again signalled an increase in the land and online betting tax, in part to fund the horse racing industry.
Minister Coveney said that it made no sense for the government to continue paying into the Horse and Greyhound Fund, when the industry could be self-financing.
The horse racing sector has called for the doubling of the current 1 percent tax to support the industry, and an extension of the tax to online gambling.
The Bord Snip report also proposes that the horse racing industry could be financed entirely from betting taxes.
Speaking at the MacGill Summer School this week, Minister Coveney said: “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.”

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