One of the UK’s biggest online operators, bet365, has become the latest major betting name to withdraw its sponsorship from key horse races. 

The British bookmaking giant has cut its sponsorships of both the July meeting and Craven meeting at Newmarket, as well as the Old Newton Cup and the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock. 

The withdrawal from these latter deals marks the end partnership which began back in 2003 and signals more worry for UK horse racing, with many landmark races across the calendar now being sponsorless. 

Already in 2026, Entain has ended its 52-year stint as sponsors of the Coral Cup, while BetMGM has pulled its deal for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in Newcastle after just two years. Evoke and Flutter Entertainment also confirmed that marketing budgets will be cut due to tougher constraints in the UK. 

These constraints seem to be what has led to bet365’s decision, with the company attributing the severing of ties with these horse races to the Autumn Budget. 

The Budget included an announcement that Remote Gaming Duty will increase from 21% to 40% at the beginning of next month. This will affect online casino directly, but operators are still expecting, and are beginning to, reduce sponsorship efforts to mitigate this.

A bet365 spokesperson said: “Regretfully, bet365 has made the very difficult decision not to continue sponsorship of a number of horseracing events, including the Craven meeting at Newmarket, the July meeting at Newmarket and the Old Newton Cup/Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

“While these have been long-standing and much-valued partnerships, last year’s Budget has unfortunately required bet365 to make some tough commercial choices.

“bet365 has been a long-standing supporter of racing and will continue to be so. It remains an important part of our business, and one which is hugely enjoyed by our customers.”

bet365 cut adds to horse racing gloom

The news is the latest in a series of sour notes for the UK horse racing industry and follows the departure of Lord Charles Allen as the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) Chair on Tuesday. 

There is a definite negative mood among a portion of vehement fans of the sport at present, and the increase in online gaming duty will not be a welcome one for operators and key industry figures alike. 

A spokesperson for The Jockey Club said: “We are grateful to bet365 for their support across our racecourses and we have seen some fantastic days together at the Craven fixture, Old Newton Cup and the July Festival.

“bet365 remain a valued partner of The Jockey Club, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with their team to promote and deliver a number of other racedays.”