No horse racing in France this Thursday, which explains this extremely rare absence

ECONOMY – She fears a big obstacle for her budget. Extremely rare, the horse racing industry is canceling the races scheduled for Thursday, November 7 to accompany a strike and a demonstration in Paris by racing associations and professionals. They are protesting against a plan to increase taxes on betting, despite assurances given by the Minister of the Budget.

There should have been around 25 races at three racecourses, which will be closed, one « effort » which the sector estimates at 3 million euros. PMU fans will therefore not be able to bet. The only precedents for the cancellation of races in France date back to the world wars and more recently to the Covid period.

Discord Amendment

The industry was alarmed last week by a government amendment to the draft social security budget providing for an increase in taxation on games and betting, particularly horse racing.

Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin said on Sunday that he “did not (wish)” this taxation and the next day, the amendment was rejected by the National Assembly. It planned to increase the tax from 6.9% to 7.5% on gross gaming revenue from horse racing bets placed in the physical network (PMU, racecourses) and from 6.9% to 15% for online bets. , measures that the sector evaluates “35 million euros per year”.

“It is an amendment which makes it possible to harmonize taxation on gross gaming proceeds”said Tuesday Laurent Saint-Martin, questioned on the subject by the MP for Mayenne Géraldine Bannier (Les Démocrates) during the question session to the government.

Recalling that “the PMU finances the agricultural life of our country to the tune of 600 million euros per year”the minister assured: “We need these players, the equine industry, and we want to protect it. » “We gave a favorable opinion to the sub-amendment allowing taxation to be stabilized at 7% and not beyond for physical or online horse racing betting”he continued.

“Races should not be a budgetary adjustment variable”

For her part, Géraldine Bannier stressed that “the current ecosystem is virtuous: 75% of the stakes are returned to the players and 16% are used to finance the sector, supporting the ecosystem of breeders, trainers, owners, jockeys…”.

For organizations, the threat of increased taxation has not been ruled out. “Although the government's amendment to increase taxation on horse racing betting has been rejected, it is essential to maintain pressure on the government”indicate the organizations including France Galop and the Société du trotteur français in a statement on Wednesday.

“This subject risks being presented again to the Senate or at any other time in the budget adoption process and races should not be a budgetary adjustment variable”they continue.

Horses in the procession

The sector is planning a demonstration in Paris on Thursday afternoon, around 5,000 people are expected between Place Denfert-Rochereau in the 14th arrondissement and Place Vauban, behind the Invalides.

“Trainers, breeders, stable and stud staff, jockeys, we are all taking to the streets to say how much this tax wanted by the government and parliament endangers our jobs and the life of our industry,” alert in a press release Thibault Lamare, trotter trainer and spokesperson for professionals in the horse racing industry. “If it passes, the vast majority of us will lose a month’s salary from January”he laments.

If for security reasons, the demonstrators will not travel on horseback, there will be a few horses on site, notably with the Italian equestrian stuntman and trainer Mario Luraschi.

France has 233 racecourses which organize 18,000 races per year, representing 40,000 jobs and 12,000 volunteers, according to the sector's press release, which says it devotes 835 million euros per year to its public service missions (breeding and training of racing horses).

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