Section 179: Pool betting on track
468.Under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, occupiers of licensed dog-tracks and the Totalisator Board (“the Tote”) at approved horse racecourses enjoy certain exclusive rights to conduct pool betting on the races taking place there. These are the only tracks where pool betting is permitted. This section replaces those provisions in the 1963 Act.
469.Under subsection (1) the only tracks where pool betting is permitted, pursuant to a track betting premises licence, are dog tracks and horse racecourses. However, the Secretary of State may amend this by order, and add further types of track, or remove them (subsection (3)). So, for example, football stadium could be added to the list, by order.
470.On licensed dog tracks and horse racecourses, the holder of the track betting premises licence is given the exclusive right to offer pool betting on dog-racing or horse-racing respectively. He may authorise other people to conduct such pool-betting on his behalf. In all cases a relevant operating licence will be required. Track betting premises licences for dog tracks and horserace courses will be subject to mandatory licence conditions requiring access to be offered at the track-side to general betting operators. A licence condition will also be imposed for a transitional period, limiting the admission fee that can be charged to five times the public admission fee.
471.There is no longer any special procedure for the licensing of inter-track betting schemes for dog racing (section 16A of the 1963 Act). Pool betting operating licences (which may be held for remote operations) and the track premises licence will cover, between them, all the activities that could be carried on under an inter-track licence.
