Horserace Betting Levy Board

What Horserace Betting Levy Board does

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) is a UK statutory Non-Departmental Public Body established in 1961 under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 and subsequent legislation. Its core function is to collect a compulsory levy from British bookmakers — set at 10% of their gross profits on British horseracing betting above an exemption threshold — and to redistribute the proceeds for the benefit of British horseracing. Headquartered in London with 11-50 employees, HBLB is governed by a 7-member Board.

HBLB distributes approximately 90% of levy income to racecourses for prize money and racecourse improvements, with the remainder funding equine veterinary science and education, breed improvement, and integrity-related work. Operational systems include a Levy Declaration System for bookmaker filings, a Racecourse System for distributing prize money and grants, an Equine Grants System, a Funding Gateway, the Great British Bonus scheme (extended as GBBPLUS in 2025), and an equine influenza vaccination programme. HBLB operates through co-funding partnerships with the Racing Foundation, BHA, Racecourse Association, TBA, ROA, Betting and Gaming Council, BEVA, APHA, and Cambridge University Veterinary School.

The business model is not commercial in the conventional sense: HBLB has no pricing model or go-to-market motion. Revenue is mandatory by statute and disbursed via grant allocations rather than sold products. Levy yield for 2025/26 is projected at approximately £110 million, up from £83.5 million in 2019, reflecting underlying growth in British bookmaker gross profits. Recent strategic activity includes the launch of GBBPLUS (2025), the Rider Development Pathway (2026), a £200,000 partnership with the Racing Foundation (2026), the appointment of Roger Devlin as Chair (1 July 2025), and the board appointments of Catherine Colloms and Madeleine Campbell (2026).

Name

Horserace Betting Levy Board

Legal name

Horserace Betting Levy Board

Website

https://hblb.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Horserace Betting Levy Board is a UK statutory body that collects a mandatory levy from British bookmakers and redistributes approximately £110 million annually to fund racecourse prize money, equine veterinary research, breed improvement, and racing integrity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Statutory Horseracing Levy and Funding Distribution

NAICS

Gambling Industries (7132)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Off-Track Betting (OTB) & Simulcast Wagering (MPAEADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Breeding & Bloodstock (Stud Farms, Sales/Auctions) (MPAEADAH), Equine Veterinary, Welfare & Anti-Doping Services (MPAEADAJ), Racecourse Hospitality, Sponsorship & On-Track Experiences (MPAEADAM), Training, Stables & Equine Services (MPAEADAI)

Keywords

• Statutory levy collection
• Horseracing funding
• Equine veterinary research
• Prize money funding
• Rare breed preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Statutory Levy Collection: HBLB collects a statutory levy from bookmakers operating in British horseracing betting business. The levy represents the greatest proportion of HBLB's income, collected as a percentage of gross profit on British horserace betting business. Approximately 90% of Levy income is applied to improvement of horseracing each year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) is a UK statutory body that collects a mandatory levy at 10% of gross profits (above a £500,000 exempt threshold) from bookmakers operating in British horserace betting. It distributes the collected funds — approximately £110 million per year — to schemes that improve horseracing (prize money, raceday services, capital loans), advance equine veterinary science and education (research grants, scholarships, disease surveillance), and support horse breeds (Great British Bonus, rare breed society grants).

Product overview

HBLB operates as a statutory body that collects a levy from bookmakers and distributes funds for the improvement of horseracing, horse breeds, and veterinary science. The organization offers a suite of secure online systems including the Bookmaker Levy Declaration System for bookmaker compliance, the Racecourse System for racecourse data submissions, the Equine Grants System for veterinary research funding, and the Funding Gateway for scholarship applications. Public-facing data services include the Attendance Enquiry, Top 10 Betting Races by Turnover, and Equine Research Projects Enquiry. HBLB also funds the Great British Bonus scheme for British-bred fillies, the Equine Influenza Programme, and Infectious Disease Surveillance services. These systems work together to fulfill HBLB's statutory mandate of collecting and distributing levy funds while supporting the British horseracing industry's infrastructure, prize money, and equine health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Great British Bonus (GBB): Incentive scheme launched in May 2020 to encourage owners to invest in British-bred fillies, supporting British racing programme on the Flat and over Jumps.
• GBBPLUS

Products and services

• Bookmaker Levy Declaration System Secure online portal where licensed bookmakers complete their Form of Declaration, calculate levy liability, and submit annual returns with automated calculations and electronic signing capabilities.
• Racecourse System Secure system used by racecourses to submit attendance data, financial information, and race-related documentation to HBLB for fixture funding and related processes.
• Equine Grants System Secure portal for equine veterinary science and education grant applications and management, used by universities, veterinary schools, and research institutions.
• Funding Gateway Online portal for applying to Small Project, Research Scholarship, Clinical Scholarship, and Equine Post-doctoral Fellowship Funding.
• Attendance Enquiry Public data service providing summary racing fixture attendance data collected by HBLB from 1989 onwards, filterable by racecourse, year, and month.
• Top 10 Betting Races by Turnover Public data service summarising the top ten betting races by turnover for 2020-2025, with annual, six-monthly, quarterly, and monthly breakdowns.
• Equine Research Projects Enquiry Public searchable database of HBLB-funded Equine Veterinary Research Projects from 2001 onwards, filterable by institution, year, project title, keyword, or discipline.
• Equine Influenza Programme Monitoring programme based at Cambridge University Veterinary School (with Rossdales Laboratory) tracking prevalence and changes in different strains of equine influenza virus, used by vaccine manufacturers to ensure appropriate vaccine strains.
• Infectious Disease Surveillance Service Collaborative programme with ROA and TBA providing monitoring and diagnostic facilities for existing and emerging equine diseases in the UK Thoroughbred industry.
• Great British Bonus (GBB) Incentive scheme for GB-bred fillies on the Flat and Jumps that qualify under GBB categories; registered fillies can earn up to £100,000 in bonuses allocated between owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, and stable staff.
• Equine Codes of Practice Online codes of practice on equine diseases providing guidance for equine owners, breeders, veterinary surgeons, and students.
• Fixture Funding Services Prize money funding and raceday services grants for racecourses, including Ratecard Plus, Incremental Prize Money, Sunday Appearance Scheme, Divided Race Fund, and Winter Jump Fund.
• Capital Projects Loans Loan programme for racecourses to fund capital improvements including weighing room upgrades, turf, drainage, stabling, and other infrastructure projects with flexible terms up to 10 years.
• Training and Education Grants Funding for British Racing School, National Horseracing College, Scottish Racing Academy, National Stud, and other training providers supporting workforce development in the racing and breeding industries.
• Breed Societies Grants Grants to rare breed societies including Shire Horse, Cleveland Bay, Clydesdale, Suffolk Punch, Hackney Horse, and various pony breeds for preservation and improvement programmes.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Racehorse Owners Association (ROA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2008ROA co-funds the Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance programme with HBLB and TBA. Racehorse owners also contribute over £210,000 via levy on race entry fees.
• Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2008TBA co-funds the Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance programme contributing £50,000 annually. TBA also supports HBLB-funded research projects and participates in breeding incentive schemes.
• British Horseracing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHA is a key industry partner represented on the Betting Liaison Group and works with HBLB on racing regulation and integrity.
• Racecourse AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRacecourse Association represents racecourses and participates in the Betting Liaison Group to discuss shared strategic priorities for improving horseracing.
• Betting and Gaming CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBetting and Gaming Council (successor to Association of British Bookmakers and Remote Gambling Association) appoints one member to HBLB Board and participates in Betting Liaison Group.
• Cambridge University Veterinary SchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationFollowing Animal Health Trust's closure in July 2020, equine influenza monitoring and research programme and infectious disease surveillance are now based at Cambridge University Veterinary School with Rossdales Laboratory providing specialist microbiology support.
• British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBEVA has taken on responsibility for the Laboratory Registration Scheme which tests horses for contagious equine metritis organism and other bacteria before breeding.
• Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)coreTechnology or IntegrationAPHA handles testing functions for the Laboratory Registration Scheme for CEMO, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Jockey Club: Largest commercial group in British horseracing, owner of major racecourses including Cheltenham and Aintree. Comparable as a major recipient and stakeholder in the British racing ecosystem that HBLB funds and that appoints Board members to HBLB.
• British Horseracing Authority: Statutory regulator and governing body for British horseracing. Comparable to HBLB because both operate as UK statutory/quasi-statutory bodies serving the same British horseracing ecosystem, with BHA focusing on regulation/integrity and HBLB on funding/levy.
• Hong Kong Jockey Club: Integrated racing, betting, and charity organisation in Hong Kong. Comparable as a large integrated racing body that combines racing operations with statutory-style funding of community programmes and is funded by betting turnover.

Regional players

• France Galop: French governing body for flat and obstacle horse racing. Comparable as a statutory/regulatory body funded by betting activity (alongside PMU) that supports French racing, breeding, and veterinary programmes — structurally analogous to HBLB.
• Horse Racing Ireland: National authority for horse racing in the Republic of Ireland. Comparable as a statutory body that administers funding for Irish horse racing from a parallel betting levy/funding stream, with similar functions around racing improvement and breed development.

Direct peers

• Racing Foundation: UK charitable foundation that funds horseracing welfare, education, and research initiatives. Comparable as a co-funder of HBLB's equine science programme (£200,000 contribution in 2026/27) and broader racing welfare activities with similar beneficiary populations.
• Thoroughbred Breeders Association: UK trade body for Thoroughbred breeders. Comparable as a direct stakeholder and co-funder (with HBLB) of equine infectious disease surveillance and breeding incentive schemes, sitting within the same funding and policy ecosystem.
• Racecourse Association: Trade body representing British racecourses that receive HBLB funding. Comparable as a stakeholder in the same British horseracing funding ecosystem, coordinating with HBLB on the Betting Liaison Group and strategic priorities.
• Betting and Gaming Council: UK trade body representing betting operators. Comparable as a direct stakeholder in the HBLB levy framework — BGC appoints a member to the HBLB Board and sits on the Betting Liaison Group, making it the industry counterpart to HBLB on the operator side.
• Greyhound Board of Great Britain: UK statutory body for greyhound racing with a parallel levy-collection and redistribution mandate. Closest structural peer to HBLB because it similarly collects a statutory levy from bookmakers and distributes funds to greyhound racing, veterinary science, and breed improvement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/levyboard?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/horserace-betting-levy-board

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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