Horse Racing Ireland today released the Irish horse racing and breeding industry statistics for 2019 and there were key areas of growth, not least in attendances, on-course bookmaker turnover and, perhaps
most significantly, in revenues received from off-course betting duty.
Attendances at Irish race meetings were recorded at 1.315 million, which was 3.2% up on the previous year, while the number of horses returned in training in this country, which is a key driver of employment, was up for the third time in four years when also showing a 3% increase.
New owner registrations were also up, with over 850 new racehorse owners registered with HRI, the bulk of these new registrations (600) were sole owners and partners, as well as 216 new syndicates.
Demand for Irish horses was strong with sales and exports increasing in both value and volume terms.
Commercial race sponsorship and contributions to prize money by racecourses continued to rise strongly, growing by another 17.3% in 2019.
The Tote continues to struggle, with figures down by 13.2% to now just a shade over €60m, though down less than 1% in terms of on-course business. The bookmakers’ ring saw an increase of 6.6%, to €58.4m, but on-course shops were down 1%, to €9.9m.
HRI reported that, following a series of changes in betting tax arrangements, off-course betting duty receipts collected by the government in 2019 amounted to €95m, and now “comfortably exceeded the exchequer funding provided for horse racing of €67.2m.”
HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh said: “Horse racing generates a very significant return to the rural economy in Ireland and a positive international profile for our country. None of this success could be achieved without the support provided by the government.
“Twenty-nineteen was a good year for Irish racing. However, the industry requires long-term certainty of funding to be able to plan strategically, not least in the context of the challenges provided by Brexit.
“The increased revenue from betting tax provides the basis for such a long-term funding mechanism and Horse Racing Ireland will engage actively with the incoming Government in the coming month to achieve this objective.”