A number of UK charities are set to benefit from a “major” cash boost, after a selection of Betting and Gaming Council members signed-up to donate all profits gained from a flagship horse race.
This will see Prostate Cancer UK, Marie Curie, three Armed Forces charities and Care Radio all benefit from the Britannia Stakes, which takes place at Royal Ascot on June 17.
Participants include BGC members Flutter Entertainment (Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Bet), bet365, Entain (Ladbrokes, Coral), William Hill, Kindred (Unibet), BetVictor, Betway, Rank Group (Grosvenor Sport), the Tote and Fitzdares.
“I am absolutely delighted that the BGC’s largest members are once again leading this fantastic initiative, which will raise vital funds for some of the country’s top charities,” said Michael Dugher, chief executive of the BGC.
“Racing is a sport that has the power to bring people together and Royal Ascot is one of the great highlights of the calendar. Millions of people enjoy a flutter and I’m proud that betting companies will donate their profits from one of Royal Ascot’s top races to go towards some brilliant causes that will help so many people from across the country.”
The operators have agreed to hand over all profits they make from win and each-way bets, after levy and duties are deducted, on the big-field heritage handicap. If they do not make a profit on the race, a donation to the charities will still be made
“We are thrilled that the betting industry will once again be donating profits from the Britannia Stakes to these very worthy charities.,” noted Alastair Warwick, managing director at Ascot Racecourse.
“Run on Gold Cup day, the Britannia Stakes is always one of the biggest betting heats of the week and extremely popular with punters, so hopefully lots of money will be raised at a time when it is much needed in light of the impact COVID-19 has had on charity fundraising efforts.”
The Tri-forces charities who will all benefit from the race are the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity; the Army Benevolent Fund, The Army’s national charity; and the RAF Benevolent Fund.
This follows the success of last year’s Britannia Stakes fundraising drive, when £250,000 was raised for a range of good causes.
Nicola Tallett, director of fundraising and supporter engagement for Prostate Cancer UK, commented: “I would once again like to thank everyone at the Betting and Gaming Council and their members for their incredibly kind gesture in helping donate vital funds to Prostate Cancer UK for a second successive year.
“Around 400,000 men are living with prostate cancer; it’s the most common cancer in men, and thanks to this wonderful support we are able to continue our lifesaving research into treatments and better tests to stop the disease being a killer, while also supporting men and their loved ones.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made living with a diagnosis harder, but hard times show what people stand for. When the future is uncertain and the choices are tough, we stand for men with prostate cancer. We thank everyone involved for their continued support.”
