The Swedish trade association BOS opposed the government's proposal to introduce a levy on all horse racing bets to help fund the industry.
BOS has stated its support for the Swedish Market Inquiry's recommendation that the levy be unnecessary, insisting there is "no reason" to introduce one.
Proponents of the tax have said that it could be based on a percentage of operators' turnover, with 5% from every SEK 100 being discussed as an option for all licensed operators.
BOS suggested that the proposed tax was unenforceable and would effectively wipe out any potential profit for horse racing betting operators, making the market unsustainable for licensed firms.
“If a fee is introduced and Swedish gambling companies are licensed, this could negatively impact penetration into the Swedish licensing system,” writes BOS.
“Opportunities for collecting market fees from gaming companies that do not have a Swedish license are more likely to be smaller gaming companies, so they gain a competitive advantage over Swedish licensed gaming companies as the former can offer lower and therefore more competitive prices,” the trade association added.
“We agree with the conclusion of the investigation to reject this proposal. We do this for both principle and practical reasons,” said BOS CEO Gustav Hoffstedt.
“The main reason is that you cannot own and therefore not charge for information that is open to everyone.
“This includes results that are often used in different types of bets. The practical reason is that the market fee offered will be equal to the entire gross gaming revenue.
“Anything left after the winnings are paid out to the winners will have to go to cover the fee. Few gaming companies would be interested in operating in such an environment,” Hoffstedt added.
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