MP calls for levy on offshore bookies

New laws are needed to regulate offshore bookmakers and force them to pay a levy to support horse-racing, the House of Commons has heard.

The Offshore Gambling Bill would require online betting sites used by UK gamblers to hold a Gambling Commission licence and contribute to the Horserace Betting Levy.

Tory MP Anne McIntosh, whose constituency includes Thirsk racecourse, said the move would bring extra revenue into the racing industry, which is vital in many rural communities.

She said the Treasury was considering how to tax remote gambling but her legislation was concerned only with the Gambling Commission and the levy.

“The whole thrust of the bill is to bring money back into racing,” she said.