LIVE: Let's go for the Stop the Tax demonstration with France Sire!

SEE THE BIG LIVE from 1:30 p.m.

The entire French racing industry raises its fist in the face of the project to increase the text on horse racing betting! Trotting and galloping, thousands of socio-professionals come from the countryside of France to meet in the streets of Paris. This is only the 2nd event in the entire history of the horse racing world in its entirety, after that of March 2017. Here, professionals from breeding and stables, and from all related professions and institutions and associations, as well as punters and bettors, are showing solidarity to defend the industry, or even save it from death in the short term. At the same time, we must take the opportunity to make all elected politicians, like everyone else on the street corner in the French population, understand the particularities of horse racing betting. Indeed, unlike all other gambling games (Casino, lottery, scratch cards), horse racing betting finances an entire agricultural sector which extends throughout the national territory.

This is the first time in modern history, apart from war and Covid, that all races have been canceled. France is home to 233 racecourses spread across 89 departments. There are 28,000 racing horses in France. Racing already pays 951 million euros per year to the State through taxation. The sector represents no less than 40,000 direct jobs that cannot be relocated. An increase in taxation as projected by certain deputies would cut 35 million euros from racing income, or 13% less for each member of the profession (one month's salary). Under these conditions, it is obvious that there would be a flood of bankruptcies, just like those of agricultural operations which are publicly deplored by the whole of France every day.