Yet another battle is brewing between the various groups affiliated with British betting and racing. Bookmakers are concerned about a number of issues, including proposals to abolish the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) and sell the Tote (Horserace Totalisator Board). As a result, the Bookmakers' Committee, which represents a number of betting groups, outlined the betting industry's concerns and some suggestions to ameliorate these problems in a 27-page commentary to the Home Office.
The biggest concern regards the potential for conflict to arise between betting and racing when the British Horseracing Board (BHB) assumes many of the duties currently held by the HBLB, which will soon be dismantled. The Committee contends that this will give racing an unfair advantage over the betting industry when it comes time for any negotiations involving the two groups. Instead, the group suggests that "the existing statutory framework for raising a horseracing betting levy should be retained."
The Bookmakers' Committee further suggests that "the HBLB should be replaced by a non-profit-making company limited by guarantee which would have similar responsibilities, including the power to collect payments from bookmakers for distribution to racing, but with no direct Home Office involvement."
The group also feels that a conflict would arise from the pending sale of the Tote to the racing industry. "Sale of the Tote to racing would distort competition in the market for bookmaking services," the report states. "It would create a clear and irreconcilable conflict of interest . Accordingly, the Tote should be disposed of through a flotation or auction process and, following a period of transition, pool betting should be opened up to competition."
Click here to view "The Betting Industry's Response to the Home Office Consultation Paper on the Levy, the Tote and Racecourse Betting."