04/12/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 4 December, the European Commission approved the reform of the Danish support scheme for the horse racing sector. Currently, betting on horse races is covered by a monopoly and the Danish authorities plan to liberalise the sector and allow the emergence of betting companies. As of 1 January, horse race betting companies will be levied 8% of their turnover to be redistributed to the horse racing sector, which is currently supported by a share of the revenue of gaming and other contributions. The current scheme is to be phased out up to 2026. As this reform is considered essential for horse breeding and racing and will promote competition in the sector, the Commission found that the measure complied with EU state aid rules. (LT)