Bookmakers unite for Britannia Stakes charity donation at Royal Ascot
As Royal Ascot enters its final days, UK bookmakers have delivered their annual Britannia Stakes charity donation, with all profits from this year’s race being shared among a range of charities as part of a long-running Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) initiative. Since its launch in 2019, the initiative has raised over £3 million from this single race alone and over £6 million in total from BGC-backed campaigns, including the Grand National Charity Bet.
How the Britannia Stakes charity donation works
The Britannia Stakes charity donation is a flagship initiative where top UK bookmakers pledge race profits to good causes. In its sixth year, the initiative once again saw Britain’s biggest bookmakers contribute every penny of profit from the Britannia Stakes race to a selection of UK charities. Timed with Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot, the initiative spotlights how the betting sector gives back, supporting both UK racing and the wider community.
While headlines circle player protection and policy reform, this is where the industry quietly shows its hand, not just turning a profit but giving something meaningful back. Proof, if ever it was needed, that racing’s heart still beats beyond the grandstands to communities and the racing ecosystem.
Bookmakers donate all profits from win and each-way bets on the Britannia Stakes, after deducting duties and levies. If the race generates no profit, they still guarantee a fallback donation of £200,000.
Who’s involved?
The list of operators taking part in the 2025 edition includes Britain’s biggest bookmakers, showing a collective commitment to social impact and shared responsibility across the sector:
- Flutter (Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Bet)
- Entain (Ladbrokes, Coral)
- William Hill (Evoke)
- Kindred (Unibet)
- Betway
- Virgin Bet
- Star Sports
- QuinnBet
- Tote
- Bet with Ascot
Together, these brands formed a united front across the regulated sector.
Which charities share the Britannia Stakes donation?
They have pledged profits to a rotating group of UK charities this year, including:
Prostate Cancer UK: For Prostate Cancer UK, the funding enables forward-looking innovation and national health impact, directly supporting research into early detection and life-saving screening programmes.
Missing People: For Missing People, the donation helps sustain vital crisis support services at a time when missing person cases in the UK remain alarmingly high.
SAS Regimental Association: For the SAS Regimental Association, the funding bolsters welfare support for veterans and their families, recognising the silent sacrifices made by Britain’s elite forces.
Ascot Racecourse Supports: For Ascot Racecourse Supports, the scheme promotes equine welfare and fosters connections with the local community through legacy projects.
Racing to School: As one of horseracing’s smallest but most dynamic charities, Racing to School uses this funding to deliver curriculum learning and bring the sport into classrooms nationwide.
Greenhouse Sports: For Greenhouse Sports, the support extends their mission to use sport as a tool for social mobility, mentoring disadvantaged youth through structured coaching and personal development.
Tempus Novo: For Tempus Novo, which works with ex-offenders to rebuild lives through employment, the funding provides critical resources for training, rehabilitation, and reintegration.
Several of these organisations are long-standing beneficiaries. Others, such as Racing to School and Greenhouse Sports, reflect a growing trend toward education and youth-focused causes within the racing and betting sector. From schoolyards to starting lines, the industry’s giving now reaches younger hands, where futures form. As the strain and scrutiny of older systems mount, investing in education and sports will help shape a more resilient tomorrow.
The charity’s focus on community programmes and equine legacy work echoes wider debates around the future of horse welfare in British racing, a topic gaining renewed attention across the industry.
More than a gesture
Grainne Hurst, CEO of the BGC, said:
“The BGC and our members are incredibly proud to have raised millions for a host of cherished good causes over the last five years, and it’s fantastic to partner with Royal Ascot once again to add to that tally.
Whatever the result, charities are guaranteed to win big.”
The move also reinforces ongoing calls to protect and grow the sport amid mounting economic pressures on racing, as outlined in a recent SiGMA News article looking at the future of horse racing in the UK and US.
Grainne Hurst’s view was echoed by Ascot Racecourse CEO Felicity Barnard, who praised the initiative’s dual impact:
“We are delighted that Ascot Racecourse Supports is a beneficiary – the monies raised are helping to support key community and equine legacy projects, and we are hugely grateful.”
What charities say
This year’s donation comes at a time when many of the selected charities face rising demand and stretched resources.
Laura Kerby, Chief Executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said,
“We’re proud to be part of this brilliant incentive, which will help fund that research towards a screening programme so we can catch prostate cancer early and save lives.”
John Blake, CEO of Racing to School, added:
“We’re very grateful for this opportunity as horseracing’s smallest charity, working to deliver active curriculum-learning for young people nationwide.”
Others, like GoRacingGreen, highlighted the scheme’s power to transform at grassroots level.
Debbie Matthews, founder of GoRacingGreen, said,
“As a single-person initiative with so few resources, this funding is vital to expanding the work GoRacingGreen aims to achieve going forward.”
Betting and giving is a model for social impact
As well as the Grand National MP bet, the Britannia Stakes charity donation remains a centrepiece of the BGC’s charitable strategy, demonstrating a visible and unifying show of industry-wide support for UK causes.
Combined with support for the horse racing levy, media rights, and high-street betting jobs, the BGC continues to position its members as contributors not just to the economy but to community well-being.
At a time when the regulated sector faces growing political scrutiny, the Britannia Stakes initiative demonstrates how the betting industry’s charity support enhances UK racing through more than just sponsorships or tax revenue by delivering lasting value to people and causes that need it most.
From Royal Ascot to Aintree and from educational outreach to support for the armed forces, the BGC’s broader charitable strategy continues to expand. These aren’t one-off gestures but part of a coordinated effort to make regulated betting a force for public benefit, even as the industry adapts to new rules and rising expectations. The sector is responding to policy shifts, including the government’s proposed tax overhaul affecting British racing, which has triggered strong warnings from within the sport.
The 2025 Britannia Stakes, run on Thursday, 20 June, was won by Arabian Story, ridden by Oisin Murphy and trained by Saeed bin Suroor. The result brought drama on the track, but it’s the charities off the track who now stand to benefit most. With the 2025 Britannia Stakes now complete, attention now shifts to how this year’s donation shapes the work of its chosen beneficiaries in the months ahead.
