The piece prompted a unanimous response from the quietest voices in Irish racing, that of the betting public, with every single respondent unsurprisingly stating that a tax on punters stakes or winnings would drive their betting activities abroad/underground and/or have a negative impact on the amounts that they bet.

The fundamental problem with any proposal for a tax on punters is that betting will remain tax-free in Britain and such a change would prompt a boom in black market bookies. Theoretically, a tax of 2.5% on stakes or winnings would personally cost me a four-figure sum annually, but if I were to redirect my betting activity through a British-based commission agent, I could bet tax-free. It isn’t rocket science.