Jockey Club accused of undermining racing after signing casino deal

A deal between the Jockey Club and gambling technology company Playtech involving the development of casino games has been criticised for undermining efforts to differentiate betting on racing from games of chance.

Under the five-year partnership, Playtech is set to develop a range of online casino, poker, virtual sports and bingo games based on the Jockey Club's most famous races and racecourses.

The company said the first game would be launched in time for the Cheltenham Festival.

The deal has been criticised for appearing to contradict the arguments others within British racing have been making to draw a distinction between betting and gaming, and for coming at a time when the British government is in the midst of its Gambling Act review process.

However, the Jockey Club has responded by arguing that the deal is separate to the question of how gaming is regulated.

There are fears that if the review leads to the introduction of draconian affordability checks it could hit racing's revenues to the tune of £60 million or more per annum, as well as forcing bettors to share sensitive personal financial data with bookmakers if they wish to bet beyond government-set monthly limits.

The first game under the new deal will be launched in time for the Cheltenham FestivalCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Horseracing Bettors Forum (HBF) called for a different approach between betting and gaming in its submission to the government's call for evidence, emphasising the higher problem gambling rate in casino gaming compared to sports and horseracing betting.

Reacting to the Jockey Club deal, the HBF said: "The HBF's submission to the Gambling Act review made the case that betting and casino games should have different regulatory arrangements, as there needs to be a clear distinction between games of skill, a unique selling point of betting on horseracing and something which the sport should be emphasising, and games of chance.

"With the Gambling Act review white paper still to be published, this announcement seems poorly timed. High street bookmakers have re-invented themselves as online casinos and have knowingly conflated horseracing betting and games of chance.

"It would be good to understand how this new venture by the Jockey Club is in line with its stated mission of acting 'for the long-term good of British racing in everything [they] do'."

News of the deal also prompted anger and disbelief among racing fans on social media, with users labelling it a "disgraceful decision" and "desperately short-sighted".

In response to the criticism, Jockey Club chief commercial officer Charlie Boss said: "We recognise that any deal in iGaming needs careful consideration and we have been developing our strategy over the past year.

"This partnership is about furthering our relationships with betting operators and builds on existing arrangements we have had for many years in the gaming space. It is not about the separate question of how gaming should be regulated."

Boss said the intention of the deal, which has been more than a year in the making, was to reach new audiences and to create new revenue streams for the sport.

He also said safer gambling was an important factor in the agreement.

Boss added: "Part of the reason why the deal took so long is we wanted to ensure we were doing it in all the right ways.

"It's really important to be clear that Playtech and all of the betting operators it works with are subject to all the regulations that exist in that territory at the time.

"Playtech go further than that with the safer gambling technology and leadership role they occupy, which was a big part of our consideration. We did some very serious due diligence into the player safety capabilities and what they offer there."

Frankie Dettori: features among other racing games with PlaytechCredit: Edward Whitaker

The deal with the Jockey Club is not the first link-up Playtech has had with racing, with games named after Sir Anthony McCoy, Frankie Dettori and Ascot racecourse already among its 'Sporting Legends' casino offering.

Playtech's casino director James Frendo said: "By partnering with an iconic sporting institution such as the Jockey Club, we are able to create a full range of exceptional and exciting cross-product content."

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