In the National Assembly on Tuesday, October 24. Wednesday, October 25th again, this time in the Senate. The financial resources of the National Sports Agency (ANS) – their sources and scope – and beyond what this implies for the financing of sports practices have been repeatedly invited to two chambers of parliament on the occasion of scrutiny. The committees will include the Ministry of Sports and Olympic and Paralympic Games (JOP) appropriations in the 2024 financial bill.
Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra had to answer the same question twice, which was also a clue: Why does the government refuse to allocate more taxes to the tax budget for sports betting, online games and games? Is the ANS the operational arm of public policy on sports matters?
“The portion of sports betting that goes to sports is only 19%. “For ANS, this share needs to be increased to at least 33 percent,” he said. This is how senator (Les Républicains) Michel Savin pleaded on Wednesday. “Justice requires raising the level of allocated taxes.”also takes into account Jean-Claude Raux, MP (European Ecology-Greens), who drafted the opinion of the Committee on Cultural Affairs.
In the draft budget for 2024, the amount of these taxes allocated to the ANS should remain constant compared to 2023: 34.6 million euros from the total amounts collected by the state from online sports betting (i.e. 181.7 million) and 71.8 million euros from the total amounts collected by the state will come from the amounts. total amounts received from the games (i.e. more than 246 million). In addition, the “Buffet tax” collected on television broadcasting rights remains constant (59.7 million).
If this status quo continues in 2024, “We can ask the question about taxes on sports betting, I hear”, Ms. Oudéa-Castéra acknowledged this before MPs on Tuesday. He went a little further when he faced senators on Wednesday: “There is a principle that sport finances sport and we have the capacity to seek additional credit reserves.”he said and added: “Do not ignore this discussion for the future”.
In the current situation, the public finance programming bill for the period 2024-2027 foresees an unchanged amount for 2025 and 2026 of taxes on sports betting and games intended for YEARS.
“We were not penalized due to the limitation mechanism”
The issue of “uncapping” taxes allocated to the ANS was at the center of debates in Parliament a year ago as part of the review of the draft 2023 budget, while revenues from online sports betting are on a strong rise. The government refused to comply with the invitation to increase the amounts paid to ANS.
He did the same this year: even though an amendment increasing taxes was adopted by the finance committee of the National Assembly, it was not integrated into the adopted version of the text of the revenue code on revenues. 49.3. on October 18, after the article was invoked.
The Minister justified this status quo, first before the deputies and then the senators, by the fact that the revenues from these taxes, although they mainly support the general budget of the State, will still return to the sports mission as loans increase.
“We were not penalized due to the restriction mechanism”, Ms Oudéa-Castéra explained the affected taxes: “ The three taxes in question represented just under €70 million [de recettes pour l’ANS] Cumulatively, between 2020 and 2024, at the same time, the ministry’s loans recorded a cumulative increase of 350 million. [hors crédits liés aux Jeux]i.e. five times higher dynamics ».
“A significant portion comes from unsustainable sources.”
“If the ANS’s allocations have increased steadily for several years, a significant part of this will be due to the recovery plan, the Olympic Games or [aux mesures liées au sport institué] Big national case in 2024 »But putting it into perspective, Jean-Claude Raux advocated the implementation of:“a global endowment” For ANS, primarily in the form of budget allocations, “Revised upwards and long-term”.
Bulletin
“Paris 2024”
“Le Monde” decodes the news and challenges of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Register
This demand joins the call for the implementation of the “Marshall plan” formulated long ago by local elected officials and MPs: they demand a program worth 500 million euros per year, aimed specifically at renovation and construction. equipment (swimming pools, gyms, etc.)
“The removal of the tax cap on sports betting made it possible to release tens of millions of additional euros for the renovation and construction of configuration equipment”Following the final non-acceptance of the lawmakers’ amendment, the National Association of elected officials responsible for sports (Andes) reacted with particular support for this request for a hefty, multi-year commitment.
In the Senate on Wednesday, Ms Oudéa-Castéra highlighted the plan 2024 Generation, which was announced by our President on September 9 and aims to renovate and build 5,000 sports facilities with 300 million loans in 3 years. “ANS has already allocated 25 to 30 million euros towards the configuration of the equipment. “We maintain this base and add 150 million euros in three years under this new plan,” he said. He gave detailed information to the minister. “It will enable the renovation and construction of 500 residential facilities.”he assured.
