CopyBet to Sponsor Jockey Club Race Meetings in February and March

CopyBet has agreed a series of horseracing sponsorships covering five racecourses between now and the end of March, in partnership with the Jockey Club, showcasing marketing spend for the sport despite impending online gambling tax increases.

CopyBet will sponsor seven race meetings and 41 races at Carlisle, Exeter, Haydock, Huntingdon and Kempton Park. The agreement launched with CopyBet’s sponsorship of afternoon jump racing that took place at Kempton on Monday. The agreement does not include the Cheltenham Festival in March, which is owned and operated by the Jockey Club.

The sponsorship will cover two race meetings at Exeter on Sunday, 8 February and Friday, 20 February, Huntingdon on Sunday, 1 March, Haydock on Thursday, 5 March, and Carlisle on Sunday, 8 March. The final race meeting as part of the agreement will take place at Huntingdon on Wednesday, 11 March.

Future of sponsorship in doubt

This comes at a time where there is clear concern within the industry surrounding the future of horseracing with regards to sponsorship from gambling operators, as a result of upcoming online gambling tax increases. In April, remote gaming duty, paid on online casino bets, will increase from 21% of gross gaming yield (GGY) to 40%.

This will be compounded by an increase in general betting duty, paid on online sports bets, which will go up from 15% of GGY to 25% in April 2027. Bets on horseracing will be exempt from this increase, but it is still widely expected the subsequent cuts operators make to their marketing spend will have a knock-on effect for the sport.

Coral makes “regrettable” withdrawal

Last week, Coral announced it has ended its sponsorship of the Coral Cup, bringing an end to a 52-year association with the festival. Simon Clare, UK PR and Sponsorship Director for Entain, Coral’s parent company, referenced the tax increase as a reason for Coral’s decision to withdraw its sponsorship, stating:

“Coral has proudly been the longest-running sponsor at the Cheltenham Festival since 1974, but the scale of the recent tax increase on betting operators means we must take difficult decisions to mitigate its impact.

“Ending our sponsorship after 52 years is incredibly regrettable, but reflects the need to reassess where and how we invest under the new cost landscape. The Jockey Club remains a valued and long-standing partner, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration across the many major Coral and Ladbrokes sponsorships we continue to support.”

Significance of CopyBet’s deal

CopyBet’s decision to enter its agreement with the Jockey Club is a sign that operators sponsoring horseracing meetings is still an activity that is likely to occur on a regular basis, but it should be noted this agreement will conclude before the first of the tax increases is implemented.

Short-term agreements such as this may become more commonplace as opposed to the more costly sponsorships of major festivals such as Cheltenham or the Grand National Festival at Aintree.

Commenting on the partnership, Mark Smith, Managing Director, CopyBet UK, said:

“We’re proud to be reinforcing our commitment to British racing with our biggest-ever series of sponsorships. With the everchanging industry landscape, we recognise the importance of supporting a sport that means so much to fans, communities and the wider industry.”

Daniel Glavin, Betting Partnerships Manager at the Jockey Club, said:

“This is an exciting year for British racing, and we are thankful for CopyBet’s ongoing support, as demonstrated through this new series of sponsorships. From Kempton in February, through to Huntingdon in March, we are excited to see CopyBet at key race meetings throughout the start of 2026.”