All sides tightlipped after levy meeting

Representatives of racing and betting were keeping their own counsel on Thursday after meetings with sports minister Tracey Crouch the previous day to hear more on her plans for levy replacement.

Last week Crouch wrote to the two sectors to inform them she was "minded" to set a rate of ten per cent for the levy replacement system due to be introduced on April 1 that would mean offshore operators, as well as the retail betting companies, contributed "fairly" to the racing industry.

Crouch had separate meetings with representatives of the two sides on Wednesday but neither they nor the department for culture, media and sport was prepared to comment further.