Britbet Racing and UK Tote Pool Betting Partners Until 2030
Britbet and the UK Tote Group make a new agreement covering all Jockey Club and independent racecourses until late 2030.
On race days, Bangor Racecourse’s Tote windows will operate as part of the UK Tote Group until at least 2030.
Key Facts:
- Britbet Racing and UK Tote Group have extended their pool betting agreement.
- Arena Racing Company and its 16 tracks are not part of the new deal.
- World Pool days earn racecourses between £500,000 and £800,000 per fixture.
Britbet Racing, representing a collective of 55 British racecourses, has announced an extension to its long-term collaboration with the UK Tote Group. The new deal will see UK Tote continue to deliver its on-course pool betting service across almost all Britbet racecourses.
However, at present, the new deal, which will come into place in November 2025 and run until at least the end of October 2030 (subject to a range of performance measures being met), excludes the racecourses owned or operated Arena Racing Company but are under Britbet’s umbrella.
Talks over pool betting between Arena Racing, Britbet and UK Tote Group are reportedly ongoing. Arena has a portfolio of 16 tracks – 27 percent of the UK’s total – including ‘meat and veg’ all-weather circuits such as Lingfield, Southwell and Wolverhampton. And so, Arena Racing Company racecourses account for 39 percent of British racing fixtures.
Six Years of Growth and £40 Million Cashback
The new partnership builds on the existing agreement, which has existed since October 2018. There has been significant growth and innovation in pool betting during the past six years – including the launch of a dedicated Tote website and App.
The 2020 introduction of ‘Tote Guarantee’ – ensuring the Tote will always exceed or match even the best online betting sites official win bet Starting Prices – was a popular punter inducement that contributed to on-course Tote turnover exceeding £72 million in 2024. The figure represents a 26 percent increase to that achieved in 2018.
Through the existing deal, the UK Tote Group has returned over £40 million to Britbet over the past five years while investing over £100 million in the business to support the future growth of pool betting in a sport recently described as a “cultural asset“.
A Unified World at Feet Approach
According to the Tote: “The new partnership between Britbet and the UK Tote Group ensures a continued unified approach for many racecourses, helping to focus on a single pool and working with international partners to benefit from the evolution and expansion of World Pool.”
Since its inception by the Hong Kong Jockey Club in 2019, World Pool has contributed more than £50 million to British and Irish racecourses, making it the most significant new funding stream for the sport in recent years.
— UK TOTE GROUP (@UKToteGroup) January 21, 2025
Over the last six years, several British racecourses have benefited from the introduction of World Pool, which operates on many of the highest-profile Flat race days. Combining tote pools from around the globe creates enormous liquidity for racing fans and a new revenue stream for racecourses via increased media rights.
No World Pool Money in the Arena
Last year, there were 17 World Pool race days at British racecourses. Ascot led the way with seven, including its Royal Ascot meeting. York and Goodwood had three apiece; Epsom, Newbury and Newmarket were other courses that benefited from hosting the initiative.
A September 2024 Telegraph story suggested racecourses whose meetings are selected for World Pool days earn between £500,000 and £800,000 for each fixture. However, none of the recipient racecourses are owned or operated by Arena Racing Company.
Last autumn, it emerged that pool betting operator and technology provider Colossus Bets had proposed to replace the UK Tote Group as the racecourses’ partner. Around the same time, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (in effect, the head of World Pool) warned that any fragmentation of Britain’s pool betting would damage the sport.
