Protecting Racing’s Future Through Balance: David Lovell, Co-Founder of DragonBet
This opinion piece has been written by David Lovell, Co-Founder of DragonBet
Horse racing in Britain has always been more than a sport. It is heritage, culture and a vital rural industry that sustains communities across the country. But right now, racing sits at a crossroads. The way we protect the sport — through regulation, levy reform and player safeguards — will decide how healthy it looks not just next season, but in a decade’s time.
In my view, the story of British racing in late 2025 and into 2026 will be about balance. Balancing the need for consumer protection with the need to keep racing vibrant. Balancing tradition with innovation. Balancing fiscal policy with the economic reality of a sport that supports tens of thousands of jobs.
Safeguarding the Sport
The debates around affordability checks and gambling tax have been amongst the most heated in recent years. Nobody questions the need to protect vulnerable customers, but there is a real danger of pushing everyday fans away if checks are too heavy-handed. This could also lead horse racing bettors moving over to grey and unregulated bookmakers, which will have a hugely negative impact on the industry.
Likewise, an increase in remote gaming duty, layered on top of the Horserace Betting Levy, risks starving the very ecosystem it is meant to fund.
Racing’s funding model is unique: betting activity feeds the levy, which in turn underpins prize money, welfare and the survival of racecourses. Policy-makers must recognise that reality. If regulation makes betting less accessible or less attractive, the consequences are not confined to bookmakers. They ripple out to trainers, breeders, jockeys, stable staff and local economies.
Smarter Player Protection
Where progress is possible is in the way we implement safeguards. Technology already allows us to deliver friction-light financial risk checks, to detect harmful play earlier and to engage customers with clearer, more supportive tools. The future of safer gambling in racing is not bureaucracy for all, but targeted protection for those who need it most. That is how we safeguard both the sport and its supporters.
Innovation on the Track and Beyond
At the same time, innovation is re-energising how people experience racing. Live sectional data, jockey-cam views, low-latency streaming — all of these are making a one-mile sprint feel as gripping on a phone screen as it does on the rails at Chepstow.
Ownership models are changing too. Syndicates and micro-ownership are giving fans a stake in the action, while regional festivals are strengthening community pride. Wales is a perfect case study: when fans feel racing is part of their identity, they turn up, they bet, and they bring friends along for the journey. This is why we at DragonBet are thrilled to put our name behind the first-ever Welsh Racing Festival at Chepstow.
Prize-money reform and fixture optimisation are also steps in the right direction. Fewer clashes and stronger cards will keep the sport competitive internationally and commercially.
Looking Ahead to 2026
If I had to pick the trends that will define the sport next year, they would be these:
- A fixture list that favours quality over quantity.
- Prize money that makes ownership viable again.
- Safer gambling that protects without excluding.
- Data and broadcast technology that deepen the fan experience.
- Local festivals that blend racing with culture to bring in new audiences.
None of this happens by accident. It requires joined-up thinking from regulators, racecourses, operators and media. It also requires us to keep telling racing’s story — not just as a betting product, but as an economic driver and a cultural asset.
A Personal View
At DragonBet, we’ve always believed that racing deserves to be protected and modernised in equal measure. That’s why we back Welsh fixtures, why we argue for proportionate regulation and why we continue to innovate for fans who want to experience the sport in new ways.
If we protect the roots and modernise the branches, racing will not just survive. It will grow, thrive and inspire the next generation. That is the opportunity 2026 presents us and it’s one we cannot afford to waste.
