I understand there is a feature in today's Racing Post about people betting inrunning from the race course.
I don't suppose anyone would be able to take a few photo's of it and post it up online so those that can't get the Racing Post, like myself, could have a read of it?
Many thanks!
Racing Post - Betting Inrunning
Warning over hospitality for internet punters
RACECOURSES need to ensure they are not providing facilities that equate to an exchange-betting trading room, the Gambling Commission said yesterday, as increasing numbers hire out hospitality space to groups of in-running gamblers on racedays. Tracks admit they are receiving regular inquiries from betting exchange customers seeking room in a corporate box with an internet connection from which they can bet, particularly at venues served by At The Races, to take advantage of a three- to four-second time delay between the action as it happens on the course and on the TV screens of exchange players
at home.
The Gambling Commission defines a trading room as a place “where you set up equipment that lets people bet with a third party such as a betting exchange, through the internet or other remote means”, for which a licence is required. Racecourses, which have welcomed the custom following a slump in hospitality trade as a result of the recession, have been
taking bookings from exchange punters, some of whom are believed to be former bookmakers. The Racecourse Association has been assured its members are operating within the Gambling Act. Matthew Hill, director of strategy, research and analysis at the Gambling Commission, said: “There’s nothing to stop consumers anywhere at a
racecourse using remote communications [like a mobile phone or a laptop] to place bets
remotely, whether that’s with a licensed bookmaker or a betting exchange.
“And it’s not the commission’s view that, for example, providing a Wi-Fi network or a screen with a live feed necessarily turns a hospitality box into a trading room. But those may be among a number of factors that would be taken into account when making decisions about whether a particular activity did, in fact, constitute the provision of
gambling facilities and, as a result, required a licence. “Other factors likely to be taken into account would include the way the service was described and marketed.”
Racecourse executives report accommodating a small but dedicated group of internet
punters, who would previously operate from the bars and stands, in vacant hospitality space. They bring their laptop computers while the course supplies the internet access, a television screen and light refreshment. Leicester racecourse manager David Maykels said: “We don’t have a special room for anybody, but if somebody wants to come and sit in a room with a laptop and pay us to do so, then they can. It isn’t a specific internet room,
but we have broadband in there.
“Speak to any Attheraces racecourse and you will find they are getting inquiries all the time from people who want to take boxes for those reasons. “They all know each other, they all do the circuit and there are probably only 15-20 people on a good day. It’s a tiny bit of income but welcome, because it is staving off the decline in hospitality. “We only saw an interest at the start of the Flat season. People have approached us. All we have
done is stop people wandering about the site with their own laptops. It’s a handful of people who think they have got an edge.”
With year-round racing at its all-weather tracks, Arena has taken bookings for hospitality
space at Lingfield and Wolverhampton, while Plumpton has also become an in-running
venue this winter. Claire Sheppard, Plumpton’s chief executive, said: “We’ve been
approached by people looking to hire boxes from September onwards and, as I understand it, other courses have been doing this for at least a year or more. “It is punters looking for an edge. Before, they were sitting in bars doing it. They feel they want a more private environment to do it. “The numbers are between six and ten people, but we only take
them at quieter meetings as a lot of time we are sold out in hospitality.”
Although racecourse bookmakers do not object to the presence of exchange players on the track, they believe professional layers should be licensed. Keith Johnson, chairman of
the National Association of Bookmakers, said: “We have no objection to anyone laying horses provided it is on the same level playing field. If we have to have a licence then all other people laying horses should have to go through the same hoops and have a Gambling Commission licence and pay the same taxes and dues on any profit they make.” The presence of in-running gamblers on tracks will fuel a BHA belief that many exchange
players are operating a business and therefore should be licensed and paying levy. It has made representations to the government that have been noted by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
A DCMS spokesperson said: “We are aware of the industry’s concerns about unlicensed individuals acting as bookmakers on betting exchanges and have asked the BHA to come to us with evidence so we can look into this issue further. “The government believes that anyone acting as a UK bookmaker – either land-based or remote – should be appropriately licensed and should contribute to the levy. Public protection is at the heart of the Gambling Act and anything that puts the public at risk will be taken very seriously
RACECOURSES need to ensure they are not providing facilities that equate to an exchange-betting trading room, the Gambling Commission said yesterday, as increasing numbers hire out hospitality space to groups of in-running gamblers on racedays. Tracks admit they are receiving regular inquiries from betting exchange customers seeking room in a corporate box with an internet connection from which they can bet, particularly at venues served by At The Races, to take advantage of a three- to four-second time delay between the action as it happens on the course and on the TV screens of exchange players
at home.
The Gambling Commission defines a trading room as a place “where you set up equipment that lets people bet with a third party such as a betting exchange, through the internet or other remote means”, for which a licence is required. Racecourses, which have welcomed the custom following a slump in hospitality trade as a result of the recession, have been
taking bookings from exchange punters, some of whom are believed to be former bookmakers. The Racecourse Association has been assured its members are operating within the Gambling Act. Matthew Hill, director of strategy, research and analysis at the Gambling Commission, said: “There’s nothing to stop consumers anywhere at a
racecourse using remote communications [like a mobile phone or a laptop] to place bets
remotely, whether that’s with a licensed bookmaker or a betting exchange.
“And it’s not the commission’s view that, for example, providing a Wi-Fi network or a screen with a live feed necessarily turns a hospitality box into a trading room. But those may be among a number of factors that would be taken into account when making decisions about whether a particular activity did, in fact, constitute the provision of
gambling facilities and, as a result, required a licence. “Other factors likely to be taken into account would include the way the service was described and marketed.”
Racecourse executives report accommodating a small but dedicated group of internet
punters, who would previously operate from the bars and stands, in vacant hospitality space. They bring their laptop computers while the course supplies the internet access, a television screen and light refreshment. Leicester racecourse manager David Maykels said: “We don’t have a special room for anybody, but if somebody wants to come and sit in a room with a laptop and pay us to do so, then they can. It isn’t a specific internet room,
but we have broadband in there.
“Speak to any Attheraces racecourse and you will find they are getting inquiries all the time from people who want to take boxes for those reasons. “They all know each other, they all do the circuit and there are probably only 15-20 people on a good day. It’s a tiny bit of income but welcome, because it is staving off the decline in hospitality. “We only saw an interest at the start of the Flat season. People have approached us. All we have
done is stop people wandering about the site with their own laptops. It’s a handful of people who think they have got an edge.”
With year-round racing at its all-weather tracks, Arena has taken bookings for hospitality
space at Lingfield and Wolverhampton, while Plumpton has also become an in-running
venue this winter. Claire Sheppard, Plumpton’s chief executive, said: “We’ve been
approached by people looking to hire boxes from September onwards and, as I understand it, other courses have been doing this for at least a year or more. “It is punters looking for an edge. Before, they were sitting in bars doing it. They feel they want a more private environment to do it. “The numbers are between six and ten people, but we only take
them at quieter meetings as a lot of time we are sold out in hospitality.”
Although racecourse bookmakers do not object to the presence of exchange players on the track, they believe professional layers should be licensed. Keith Johnson, chairman of
the National Association of Bookmakers, said: “We have no objection to anyone laying horses provided it is on the same level playing field. If we have to have a licence then all other people laying horses should have to go through the same hoops and have a Gambling Commission licence and pay the same taxes and dues on any profit they make.” The presence of in-running gamblers on tracks will fuel a BHA belief that many exchange
players are operating a business and therefore should be licensed and paying levy. It has made representations to the government that have been noted by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
A DCMS spokesperson said: “We are aware of the industry’s concerns about unlicensed individuals acting as bookmakers on betting exchanges and have asked the BHA to come to us with evidence so we can look into this issue further. “The government believes that anyone acting as a UK bookmaker – either land-based or remote – should be appropriately licensed and should contribute to the levy. Public protection is at the heart of the Gambling Act and anything that puts the public at risk will be taken very seriously
Hills claim practice is illegal
WILLIAM HILL yesterday claimed that allowing in-running players to use racecourse hospitality facilities was illegal. Spokesman David Hood declared his firm’s opposition on the basis that many layers were operating on the scale of a business yet were not subject to the licensing, taxation or regulation of ordinary bookmakers. He said the activity was unfair to in-running punters with no instant pictures, and the size of turnover was costing the
industry in lost levy payments. Hood said: “We support the view, which is set out on the
ABB website, which states, ‘Racecourses who hire corporate boxes to ‘in-running’ layers on
betting exchanges are, in the view of the ABB, providing illegal facilities for remote gambling’.” That echoed the views of BHA chief executive Nic Coward, who earlier warned: “This sounds like the kind of evidence of exchange customers acting in the course of a business, on an unlicensed basis, that the DCMS are very interested in. “Anyone doing this would fall under the Levy Act’s definition of a bookmaker and should therefore be paying levy.”
WILLIAM HILL yesterday claimed that allowing in-running players to use racecourse hospitality facilities was illegal. Spokesman David Hood declared his firm’s opposition on the basis that many layers were operating on the scale of a business yet were not subject to the licensing, taxation or regulation of ordinary bookmakers. He said the activity was unfair to in-running punters with no instant pictures, and the size of turnover was costing the
industry in lost levy payments. Hood said: “We support the view, which is set out on the
ABB website, which states, ‘Racecourses who hire corporate boxes to ‘in-running’ layers on
betting exchanges are, in the view of the ABB, providing illegal facilities for remote gambling’.” That echoed the views of BHA chief executive Nic Coward, who earlier warned: “This sounds like the kind of evidence of exchange customers acting in the course of a business, on an unlicensed basis, that the DCMS are very interested in. “Anyone doing this would fall under the Levy Act’s definition of a bookmaker and should therefore be paying levy.”
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andyfuller
- Posts: 4619
- Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:23 pm
Many thanks for that - I just got a copy of it faxed to me as well so I will post that up later after racing.
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JollyGreen
- Posts: 2047
- Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:06 am
About 18 months ago I decided to test this delay with a laptop at a number of courses. Each time I was approached by a member of staff from the course and they politely asked me to desist.
I was always wary because it could be construed as placing revenue off course. This seems to be the main thread of the objection from Hills.
I was always wary because it could be construed as placing revenue off course. This seems to be the main thread of the objection from Hills.