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1 week ago | 
racingpost.com | Bill Barber
In recent months the threat from the black market has been increasingly recognised by both the Gambling Commission and government. Not before time, many in the racing industry would say, as it is suspected that much of the betting turnover that has been lost to the sport has headed to illegal and unlicensed operators.
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1 week ago | 
racingpost.com | Bill Barber
Changes continue at the Jockey Club following the news that Amy Starkey is set to move from her position as managing director of the group's racecourses to a new role centred on Newmarket.
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2 weeks ago | 
racingpost.com | Bill Barber
Local government has been taking on the gambling industry on both sides of the Atlantic in recent days, although as you can imagine there have been differences in approach. In the United States, the city of Baltimore has filed a lawsuit against Flutter Entertainment and DraftKings for "engaging in deceptive and unfair practices", claiming they are targeting and exploiting vulnerable gamblers.
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2 weeks ago | 
racingpost.com | Bill Barber
Gambling stocks have not been immune as markets plummeted again on Monday morning due to fears of the economic consequences of the United States' new tariffs. In London the FTSE100 index was down six per cent at 11am, taking it to its lowest level since February 2024 as a result of President Trump's tariff policy. Shares in William Hill parent company Evoke were down four per cent to 38.4p, while Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain's share price fell more than three per cent to 485.20.
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2 weeks ago | 
racingpost.com | Bill Barber
Russell Ferris is leaving his position as chief executive of Weatherbys to take up the new role of managing director at Racecourse Media Group (RMG). He will be succeeded at Weatherbys by Sharon O'Regan. Ferris has more than 20 years of experience in senior positions in the racing industry, having previously been managing director of Limerick racecourse and Ireland director for At The Races.
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3 weeks ago | 
racingpost.com | Bill Barber
The team at Britbet, the racecourse-owned operator which provides on-track pool betting, is looking forward to Aintree after enjoying a record-breaking Cheltenham Festival. In total £11.34 million was bet into the Tote pools from Cheltenham during the festival, a new high and an increase of around £600,000 on the previous year, despite the near five per cent fall in attendance over the four days.
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3 weeks ago | 
racingpost.com | Bill Barber
The Jockey Club's original hunt to appoint a new chief executive alighted on an applicant from the other side of the Atlantic until a late change of heart scuppered its plans. Its second attempt has unearthed a new leader from much closer to home, albeit one who does not appear to be a natural cultural fit with the venerable organisation. The Jockey Club is one of the driving forces behind Racecourse Media Group, where Jim Mullen has been a non-executive director since 2019.
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3 weeks ago | 
racingpost.com | Bill Barber
Peter Savill is not an easy man to ignore, but various stakeholders around racing are trying their best to do so. The Professional Racing Association (PRA), the group of "like-minded, committed racing professionals" set up by the former BHB chair to press for improved financial rewards for participants, has in recent weeks compiled a report setting out which racecourses do and do not meet its metrics for a sufficient contribution to prize-money.
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3 weeks ago | 
racingpost.com | Bill Barber
The Football Pools has become the latest gambling operator to be punished by the Gambling Commission for social responsibility and anti-money laundering (AML) failures. The company's £375,000 settlement with the regulator follows last week's news that Corbett Bookmakers had been hit by a £686,070 penalty for similar failings following a commission investigation.
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3 weeks ago | 
racingpost.com | Bill Barber
Dr Jerry Hill, who played a pivotal role in British racing's return following the Covid-19 lockdown, is to retire from his position as chief medical adviser to the BHA later this year. Hill, who took on the role in 2014, is to remain with the BHA in the coming months to support a smooth transition to his successor, including assisting with their recruitment and induction. He said: "It has been a privilege to work in a sport where the welfare of its people is taken so seriously.
