UK Tote Group and Hong Kong Jockey Club sign landmark five-year agreement

• UK Tote becomes exclusive pool partner for World Pool

Monday 19th June 2023

Today, the UK Tote Group and Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announce a significant new five-year agreement which will enable them to further integrate their relationship until at least the end of 2028.

The new terms will enable the UK Tote Group and HKJC to continue to build on the existing collaborative partnership which has developed significantly since the purchase of the Tote by UK Tote Group in October 2019.

One of the major successes to date has been the development and continued growth of World Pool. This is now in its fifth year, with 28 pool betting operators from around the globe commingling into a single pool operated by the HKJC for 25 high profile race meetings, including 18 in the UK and Ireland. World Pool results in enormous liquidity and a multi-million pound betting experience and better value for racing fans.

The new agreement between the parties sees the UK Tote become the exclusive pool partner for World Pool in the UK and Ireland. This will ensure collaboration on exciting developments, including new bet types and further improvements to the customer experience. World Pool is generating new funds and significant financial returns for British and Irish racing via media rights payments for participating racecourses. These funds are being used to invest into prize money to support British racing’s feature meetings. The funds generated by World Pool can be expected to accelerate as World Pool grows in future years.

In 2023 there will be 25 World Pool days, including 18 in Great Britain and Ireland between May and October, offering over £31 million in prize money. Last year, World Pool saw record global turnover of £650 million, with £521 million bet on the British and Irish race days, an increase of 44% on the previous year.

With deepening collaboration between the UK Tote and the HKJC, Tote customers in the UK and Ireland, via tote.co.uk and tote.ie plus the Tote Apps, will continue to enjoy betting into multi-million pound pools on top class racing from Hong Kong’s two racecourses, Happy Valley and Sha Tin, including FWD Champions Day in April and the LONGINES Hong Kong International races in December.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club said: “The UK Tote is our principal commingling partner, and we are very pleased to be extending our relationship for the next five years with this new agreement. The UK Tote has been instrumental in the growth of World Pool over the last four years and this new agreement underpins our very valued partnership. We look forward to continuing to work with John Williamson, Alex Frost and the whole Tote team to build on the strong platform we have created to develop the pool betting experience for racing fans around the world.”

John Williamson, Chairman of UK Tote Group said: “This is a very significant moment for the UK Tote, and for British and Irish horseracing, as we continue to develop and extend our partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. This new agreement enables us to accelerate our plans to grow World Pool which is proving an increasingly important revenue stream for the sport. As our partnership continues to go from strength to strength, we will continue to showcase Hong Kong’s world-class racing to a global audience, while collaborating around technology advancements and innovation, including new bet types to ensure we are collectively providing as compelling pool betting experience as possible for our customers.

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Winfried and his outstanding team at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. By signing this agreement with them, we want the UK Tote to be true to its founding principles of being on the side of both horseracing and the customers, through collaboration with our international racing and pool betting partners.”

Please visit https://worldpool.hkjc.com/ for full details about World Pool and follow @WorldPool on Twitter for all the latest news.

ENDS.

For further information, please contact:

Susannah Gill
Communications and Corporate Affairs Director
UK Tote Group
susannah.gill@uktotegroup.com
+44 (0)7751 870 929

Notes to editors

About UK TOTE GROUP

The UK Tote Group is the proud owner and steward of the Tote, the UK’s leading pool betting operator. The Tote has been a core part of British horseracing since 1928 when it was established by Parliament under Winston Churchill as Chancellor of the Exchequer, to provide the public with a safe way to bet and vital funding for the sport.

The UK Tote Group is committed to fulfilling the Tote’s founding mission through revitalising the 95-year old British company to ensure it provides better value and an improved experience to customers, as well as increased funding for British horseracing. The UK Tote Group is backed by racehorse owners and breeders from around the world who believe a stronger UK and Irish host pool is an essential component in the successful future of the sport, as is the case in other successful racing jurisdictions.

The Tote is the pool partner to all 85 British and Irish racecourses, and the UK Tote Group is proud to be able to work with them and all of its media rights and bookmaker partners to bring innovations and improvements to all of its customer channels, including those within its digital business, through the Tote website (tote.co.uk/tote.ie) and the Tote App.

The UK Tote Group is a founding member of the World Tote Association and will co-chair the organisation between 2022-24. The UK Tote Group is committed to working with international partners to grow pool betting in a sustainable manner, while showcasing the benefits of the sector to stakeholders, including customers, regulators, national governments, the racing industry and society as a whole.

The Tote employs 200 people who are based in the Tote’s main office in Wigan and its satellite office in London.

For more information please visit www.uktotegroup.com and www.tote.co.uk and follow us @UKToteGroup and @ToteRacing.

About Hong Kong Jockey Club

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society.

Founded in 1884 as a membership club to promote racing, today the Club operates a unique integrated business model of world-class racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. This enables the Club to generate economic and social value.

In 2021/22, the Club returned a total of HK$33.6 billion to the community. This included HK$27 billion to the HKSAR Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$6.6 billion in approved charity donations.

About World Pool

Great Britain and Ireland is hosting the following 18 World Pool days in 2023:

• QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Rowley Mile Racecourse, Saturday 6th May

• Al Shaqab Lockinge – Newbury Racecourse, Saturday, 20th May*

• Derby Day – Epsom Downs Racecourse, Saturday 3rd June

• Royal Ascot – Ascot Racecourse, Tuesday 20th to Saturday 24th June

• Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby – The Curragh, Sunday 2nd July

• QIPCO King George Diamond Day – Ascot Racecourse, Saturday 29th July

• Qatar Goodwood Festival - Goodwood Racecourse, Tuesday 1st to Thursday 3rd August

• Sky Bet Ebor Festival – York Racecourse, Wednesday 23rd to Friday 25th August

• Longines Irish Champions Day – Leopardstown, Saturday 9th September

• QIPCO British Champions Day – Ascot Racecourse, Saturday 21st October

 *Two races from Newbury Racecourse will be World Pool events for the first time - the BetVictor London Cup and the G1. Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes.

The seven bet types available in World Pool are:

• Win (Single Leg bet) – Pick the winner of the race

• Place (Single Leg bet) – Pick a horse to be placed. Hong Kong place terms apply

• Exacta (Single Leg bet) – Pick the first two horses in the correct order 

• Trifecta (Single Leg bet) – Also known as the Tierce. Select the winner, the second, and the third horse in the correct order

• Quinella (Single Leg bet) – Select the first two finishers in either order

• Swinger (Single Leg bet) – Also known as the Quinella Place, pick two horses to finish first, second or third in any order

• Treble (Multi Leg bet) – Pick the first horse in the last three races 

Please visit https://worldpool.hkjc.com/ for full details about World Pool and follow @WorldPool on Twitter for all the latest news.