Racecourse bookmakers bracing themselves for casualties due to lack of trading

On-course bookmakers in Britain are facing financial difficulty after racing was shutdown until the end of April on Tuesday, with one on-course operator predicting "there will be casualties".

That was the stark warning from the betting ring as layers face what will be at least 45 days without any trading, with some fearing racing will not resume until after the Derby in June.

Racing in Britain will be halted from Wednesday as a result of the spiralling coronavirus pandemic, while next month's Randox Health Grand National meeting had already been cancelled before that drastic decision on Monday.

Keith Johnson, one of the biggest on-course operators, said: "There's no doubt there will be casualties.

“Some of the older bookmakers with money put aside should survive it, albeit with difficulty, but there will be a lot of people a bit more hand to mouth who will struggle.

"A lot of team members operate on a pay-by-day basis, so they'll find it really difficult if we go one, two or even three months without any income.

Keith Johnson: forecasting casualties in the betting ring from racing's shutdownCredit: David Carr

“Bookmakers will be trying to keep body and soul together for themselves and their staff so it'd be really good if the powers that be could find a way of helping us financially.”

It was the same story from Robin Grossmith, a director of the Federation of Racecourse Bookmakers, who said: "We're going to be terribly affected. For most on-course bookmakers it's their sole source of income and I don't know what the answer is.

“We just hope it ends quickly. China, where it all started, has managed to contain it, the infection rate has nosedived and things are getting back to normal so let's hope that happens here.

"If it drags on it's going to have a real impact on people's lives – those with families and mortgages and all those things everyone has.”

The suspension of racing could not have come at a worse time for racecourse bookmakers, who have endured more than six months of setbacks, starting last September when racing was hit by unseasonal rainstorms that wiped out big Saturdays including the Group 1 Futurity and November Handicap at Doncaster and has continued through the winter floods.

The coronavirus crisis has cost layers potentially big-earning meetings such as the Grand National festival, the Lincoln, All-Weather Finals day, the Craven meeting and Ayr’s Scottish National weekend.

Johnson added: "It's probably the worst year of the last ten it could have hit.

"There's no doubt there's a lot of people wanting help, and I imagine we'll be at the bottom of the list as that's how these things work.

"With pitches bought and sold a lot will have taken out bank loans. They'll have to pay those down regardless, bookmakers and staff have mortgages to pay.

"It's [coronavirus] forecast to peak in ten to 12 weeks so I fail to see how we can call racing off now and get back when it's escalating. My gut feeling, and I hope to hell I'm wrong, is the end of June is the best we can hope for."

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