Anne Lambert Appointed Interim Chair of the Horserace Betting Levy Board
The UK government has appointed Anne Lambert as interim chair of the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), following the unexpected passing of former chairman Paul Darling in August. The HBLB is responsible for collecting annual levy payments from licensed betting operators to support British horse racing.
Lambert’s Experience in Regulatory Roles
Lambert has served as an independent member of the HBLB since April 2020 and brings extensive regulatory experience to her new role. She has also held a position as a non-executive director at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) since 2016.
Her career includes previous roles in the regulation of sectors such as insurance, telecommunications, and aviation, as well as significant experience in EU policy, having served as the UK’s deputy permanent representative to the EU from 2003 to 2008.
Importance of the Betting Levy to British Horse Racing
The Horserace Betting Levy, which is overseen by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is a key funding source for the UK horse racing industry.
In the 2023/24 period, the levy generated £105 million, marking an increase from £90 million in 2021/22 and £100 million in 2022/23. This growth has helped the sector recover from the financial setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
There has been ongoing debate about renegotiating the betting levy, as many within the horseracing sector have called for changes. However, the issue was excluded from the Conservative government’s recent review of gambling laws. It is anticipated that the current Labour government will revisit the matter once other reforms related to gambling have been addressed.
