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Peter Philips, grandson of Queen Elizabeth has been hired by the Chinese Cultural Agency, to help the launch and promotion of a licensed horse racing industry for China. Philips has been announced as part of a lead group of consultants that will share knowledge on how Chinese gambling and business authorities can operate a successful licensed horse racing industry. At …

Horseracing broke new ground at Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club on Saturday, when the £160,000 Ayr Gold Cup was shown at half-time during the Club’s Sky Bet Championship clash with Blackpool – a trial which was hailed a resounding success. In conjunction with the Football League’s title sponsor, Sky Bet, Scotland’s most famous Flat race was broadcast by Racing …

New Jersey state officials have proposed adding a 0.25% tax on all sports wagers made within licensed state gambling enterprises. The proposed measures have been put forward in order to subdue corporate concerns regarding  sports corruption and match fixing. The proposal for 0.25% on sports wagers was penned by  Atlantic County state Senator Jim Whelan and New Jersey representative Vincent …

International residential subscribers to leading horseracing broadcaster, Racing UK, can now view via a multi-platform, live streaming and seven-day catch-up service, courtesy of Simplestream. Racing UK shows top-class horseracing from 34 racecourses in the UK, including the likes of, Aintree, Ascot, Cheltenham, Epsom and Newmarket. The enhanced service enables viewers to subscribe to watch Racing UK live and on-demand, across …

Lottery and gambling technology providers GTECH SpA amended the payments terms of its $4.7 billion acquisition of International Game Technology (IGT). GTECH eliminated the terms which allowed investors to choose between all stock or all cash for holdings in IGT. The price of purchase set at $18.25 per share will be paid by GTECH offering $13.69 per share cash, plus …

Greek state gaming and sports betting monopoly OPAP, has won the rights to operator horse racing betting in Greece. The decision to award OPAP was undertaken by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF), after it had opened Greek Horse Racing to a competitive tender. Greek news reports have stated that OPAP, had won the tender by submitting an offer …

Embattled Spanish gambling operator Grupo Codere has reached a financing agreement  with shareholders and creditors that will see a restructuring arrangement for its €1.1 billion  (£850 million) debt. Spanish business news source stated that bondholder had taken control of Codere operations and assets, making it feasible for the operator to reach new financing terms. The deal was reached with 80.2% …

The Horserace Betting Levy Board members have approved unanimously the Recommendations from the Bookmakers’ Committee for the terms of the 54th Levy Scheme (1st April 2015 to 31st March 2016). The Bookmakers’ Committee’s estimate of 54th Levy Scheme yield, added to Betfair’s estimated £7.8m contribution, is £74.3m. The Bookmakers’ Committee estimates that the current (53rd) Levy Scheme in 2014/15, inclusive of …

The British Racing Authority (BRA) has described the images published by The Daily Mirror of champion horse Wigmore Hall being euthanized as “distressing and insensitive”. The seven year old horse broke a leg at Doncaster race track last week, on Saturday the Daily Mirror published images of the horse being shot in the head by an unnamed vet. The Daily …

The UK’s Gambling Commission is starting the process of finding a replacement for chief executive Jenny Williams, whose second five-year term in charge of the regulator will come to an end next year. Chairman Philip Graf has been contacting  industry operators and trade bodies informing them of the plans to search for an new Executive to head up its operations. …