Britain’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) announced that its Britannia Stakes initiative has raised almost half a million pounds for good causes, making charities the big winners at Royal Ascot.
Seven Charities to Receive Funding
As Arabian Story and jockey Oisin Murphy became the latest champions of Royal Ascot, the Britannia Stakes initiative reached £450,000 ($613,225) in profit. The BGC will keep none of this money, however, as all of it will go toward a selection of UK charities.
According to the BGC, the recipients of the money will be the following:
- Prostate Cancer UK
- Missing People
- The SAS Regimental Association
- Ascot Racecourse Supports
- Racing to School
- Greenhouse Sports
- Tempus Novo
The BGC added that many of its most notable members participated in the Britannia Stakes initiative, helping to raise the money for these causes. According to the council, participant operators and their brands included the following:
- Flutter – Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Bet
- Entain – Ladbrokes Coral
- Evole – 888, William Hill
- Kindred – Unibet
- Betway
- Rank Group – Grosvenor Sport
- Virgin Bet
- Livescore Bet
- Star Sports
- QuinnBet
The BGC added that the initiative was also supported by Tote and Bet with Ascot.
Britannia Stakes Has Raised £3.6M Since Its Foundation
This was notably the sixth year in a row in which the BGC has run the Britannia Stakes. According to the organization, it has so far raised over £3.6 million ($4.9 million) for good causes.
Grainne Hurst, CEO of the BGC, celebrated the occasion, saying that it has been “brilliant” to see BGC members join causes to make a difference. She also thanked all players who placed bets on the Britannia stakes, contributing to the initiative.
Together, we’ve now raised over £3.6 million through the Britannia Stakes alone, and more than £6.5 million overall. These substantial donations highlight the real commitment of the BGC and its members to supporting charities across sport, racing, health, and the veteran community.
Grainne Hurst, CEO, BGC
Representatives of the recipient charities were pleased by the support and thanked the BGC, its members and all players who participated in the initiative. All of them agreed that the extra funding will truly make a difference and allow them to focus on providing crucial services.