Operators resist Swedish horseracing levy
Swedish government is looking for alternative ways to fund the sport with ATG set to lose losing its horseracing monopoly
Betsson, Kindred and Svenska Spel are resisting growing calls to pay a horseracing levy in Sweden following the re-regulation of the market.
Sweden’s horseracing associations, Swedish Travsport and Swedish Galopp, are calling for a levy to be paid by operators, with Sweden’s civil minister Ardalan Shekarabi saying a new way of funding the sport would need to be established after ATG loses its monopoly status for horseracing.
Speaking to domestic horseracing publication Travronden, Betsson, Kindred and Svenska Spel said they would be willing to establish a sponsorship or commercial agreement with the horseracing associations but would not be prepared to pay a mandatory fee, similar to the UK horseracing levy.
VP of communications at Betsson, Pia Rosin, said: “No, we are not prepared to pay such a fee. It would not be expected either by basketball, swimming or tennis [associations].”
Svenska Spel CEO Lennart Kall added: “We contribute by paying taxes, just like all other actors. At the present time we give our surplus to the state and [they] have no right to allocate our surplus to other activities.”
The government has initiated a two year investigation to establish a new means of financing racing and it is uncertain whether a mandatory levy will be enforced.
“While waiting for a sustainable system, the Swedish state will retain its influence in ATG. Then we hope to transition to a sustainable financing model,” Shekarabi said.