'There's a breaking point' - warning that bookies could remove markets on British racing if nothing changes in media rights row

The chief executive of leading independent operator Fitzdares has warned that bookmakers could decide to remove their markets on British racing if more is not done to drastically improve the offering and make it a more profitable product.

The money paid to the sport by the gambling industry has been brought into sharp focus this month by the ongoing dispute between Flutter – the parent company of Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Bet – and Arena Racing Company (Arc) over the price the bookmaking giant pays to stream racing in its portfolio of betting shops and online.

On Wednesday, Sky Bet and Paddy Power declined to offer early prices at an Arc track for the third time with Lingfield's afternoon card the latest SP-only meeting. That came a day after Flutter's UK and Ireland boss Ian Brown stated that the company would not be able to keep investing in "an unprofitable product with a shrinking audience".