Horseracing-Automatic betting terminals leave Ascot bookies all a flutter
ASCOT, England :Punters at Royal Ascot this week have, for the first time, been able to place bets using self-service electronic terminals as the course looks to modernise the age-old system of rows of in-person bookmakers displaying their odds to eagle-eyed racegoers.
The machines, which resemble the ordering system seen in many fast-food restaurants, take punts of up to 100 pounds ($134.96) and offer a smaller range of bets than traditional bookmakers and larger pool-systems like The Tote.
The gambling industry is the most substantial revenue stream for British racecourses and funds prize money, horse welfare and racecourse costs with over 13 billion pounds bet annually on horseracing in Britain.
For many racegoers, handing over a crisp tenner to a brusque bookmaker is a core part of the experience, but Ascot says its technology makes betting more accessible to a wider range of people.
Early responses suggest the terminals make it easier for people who know their selections and can make decisions in their own time, said Chris Collard, director of Ascot Racecourse Betting & Gaming.
On the first two days of the Royal Meeting, some 60 million pounds of bets were placed via the World Pool, an international pool system into which Ascot's new machines feed.
For the track's over 200 on-course bookmakers, the self-service machines with their low maximum bet are a curiosity, though they are staying alert should they feel them becoming a threat to their business.
Alan Stadler, of A&A Racing, who the Racing Post reports paid 160,000 pounds for his pitch at Ascot in 2018, cautioned that remote gambling via machines could make it harder to assess those who can't afford to make the bet.
"In the Royal Enclosure, you can take 5,000 pounds