Talking Horses: Jockey Club’s Playtech deal feels like a new low

There is a long and inglorious history in racing of individual bodies or businesses opting for short-term gain ahead of the broader interests of the sport. But even so, the Jockey Club’s decision to sign a five-year deal with the gaming giant, Playtech, which was announced last week, feels like a new low.

The result, according to Playtech’s casino director, James Frendo, will be “a full range of exceptional and exciting cross-product content”. Or the Jockey Club flogging Playtech some racing-themed wrapping paper for software that mechanically grinds a fixed percentage of turnover from its users, depending on your point of view.

And of all the moments to jump into bed with a gaming company, they have done it now, just before a government White Paper with proposals for reform of the gambling laws which could have a profound impact on the sport’s revenue stream from betting.

The ideas that have been floated to reduce gambling-related harm include a blanket ban on advertising, “affordability” checks before customers are allowed to deposit or gamble, which would require punters to hand over extensive banking and financial details to a new regulator, and a monthly cap on gambling “spend” of as little as £100.

Where the policy-makers eventually decide to draw the lines remains to be seen, but it has often been compared to a choice between regulating gambling like alcohol, or much more strictly, like tobacco. Racing can cope with the former, but it would on a long, slow slide towards oblivion if the government opts for the latter.

The fundamental differences between betting, where the odds are fluid and punters can win, and gaming, where the fixed margin is unbeatable, were appreciated and understood by legislation until the