Burgeoning World Pool hailed as a 'life-saver' for the racing industry after Australia first

World Pool, the pari-mutuel co-mingling project involving 28 international jurisdictions, is “a life-saver for the racing industry”, according to Alex Frost, chief executive of the UK Tote Group, which promotes the venture alongside its chief instigator the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Its proponents believe the World Pool to be one of the most important innovations of recent years, with the promise of bigger financial returns to British racing through increased media rights payments to racecourses and more revenue generated through pool betting. 

Speaking to around 700 delegates from 35 countries attending the Asian Racing Conference in Melbourne last week, Frost described the pool’s growth since its introduction at Royal Ascot in 2019 as “substantial and scalable”, with gross turnover increasing by 35 per cent to £168 million at the 2022 royal meeting alone.