Betfred to End Sponsorship of British Classic Horse Races

Betfred has ended its sponsorship of the British Classics horse races in England. The company has cut its marketing budget again after its nine-year Super League sponsorship came to an end in September.

According to information obtained by SBC News, the decision is largely, if not entirely, linked to the November 2025 and October 2026 budgets. Both budgets raised gambling duties. As a result, the Betfred brand will no longer appear at the 1000 Guineas Stakes and 2000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket, the Derby and Oaks at Epsom, and the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster.

According to The Telegraph, Betfred's support for these five races has amounted to millions over the years. The most recent races added to the company's sponsorship portfolio were the Newmarket Guineas races, which began in 2025.

Betfred founder and owner Fred Done had said earlier this year that a second tax increase in the October budget by Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey could lead to the British Classics sponsorships being cut as a cost-saving measure. Since Rachel Reeves' 2025 budget, marketing has been the most obvious area for cuts, including job losses. That budget raised the remote gaming duty from 21% to 40%, and this rate will take effect on 1 April 2026.

Flutter Entertainment, Entain and evoke have said they will reduce their marketing spending by around 20% following the budget. Coral had earlier ended its long-running Coral Cup sponsorship after Reeves' budget.

Betfred has more than 1,300 betting shops. The increase in the machine games duty from 20% to 25% is expected to have a significant impact on the company's profitability. However, the effect will be much more limited than the 40% rate sought by the Social Market Foundation. The company had previously announced that 130 shops would close, which is roughly 10% of its existing shop network.