Ex-England Star Peter Shilton Makes Request Over Gambling Taxes

Ex-England goalkeeper Peter Shilton has waded into the furious debate over a potential hike in gambling taxes, suggesting the money generated should be used to help problem bettors during the recovery process. Shilton, who was England’s most-capped player, struggled with a gambling addiction, betting heavily on horses for 45 years.

His wife, Steph, intervened to persuade him to quit, but Shilton is of the belief that more should be done to aid gamblers in the recovery process. Reports have emerged over the past few days that well-known gambling charity Gordon Moody could go under as the government seeks its funding structure, and it could lose its core funding in March 2026.

Speculation, meanwhile, has been rife over the past few months that the online horse racing betting taxes will be increased from 15% to 21% in the budget. Rachel Reeves is due to make the announcement at the end of the month, but the signs of unrest over how the industry might be affected haven’t eased.

Merely ‘filling a black hole’

The government has unsurprisingly come under criticism over the proposed tax hikes. Although the Treasury is working on ways to simplify the system, Shilton thinks more should be done to target the problems faced by bettors, rather than lining up the government’s coffers.

Steph echoed the thoughts of her husband, insisting that the taxes shouldn’t be used to merely ‘fill a black hole’. She told the BBC:

“If some of that money was guaranteed to come back in to reduce gambling harm, and support those who are struggling with gambling, then it would be great.

“But that’s not the issue, is it? Because they’re going to use that taxation to clear debts and fill a black hole. It’s not going to come and help in any shape of form back into support, treatment and prevention.”

Horse racing put through the wringer

It’s fair to assert that horse racing has been put through the wringer over the past few months. The British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) has been banging the drum with its ‘Axe the Tax’ campaign, and in September, a one-day protest was held with four meetings cancelled across the country.

Prominent figures, including jockeys and trainers, have been unequivocal in their thoughts on the matter. That has also included racecourse directors, such as Plumpton Director Thomas Savill, who proposed that online casinos should bear the brunt rather than horse racing.

He said: “Any tax increase on horse racing would be absolutely detrimental to an industry that’s really struggling at the moment.

“With less investment, there’ll be less owners, and as a result, less horses, thereby making the sport less competitive.”

Striking the right balance

The numbers posted with regard to a rise in horse racing taxes have been grim. Well, the £330 million that the BHA could stand to lose over the next five years, as well as the thousands of redundancies that could be made if the proposals are given the go-ahead, are worrying.

Interestingly, the Treasury has stipulated that it wants to ‘strike the right balance’ between having enough money to fund public services while also ensuring growth for businesses in rural communities. Shilton’s suggestion to help problem gamblers doesn’t seem too ludicrous or far-fetched, but whether his request falls upon deaf ears remains to be seen.