Does the Jockey Club still act for the good of racing - or out of self-interest?
Racing writer of the year Lee Mottershead shines a light on a racing powerhouse
It was a decision greeted with disbelief.
At a time when British racing was attempting to persuade Boris Johnson's government that betting and gaming should be treated as separate entities in the upcoming gambling white paper, it was announced the Jockey Club had signed a five-year agreement that would lead to its races and racecourses being used in online casino, poker, virtual sports and bingo games.
How, people asked, could it possibly be helpful to racing that the Jockey Club had authorised gambling technology company Playtech to develop gaming products named after some of racing's most prestigious brands? At face value it seemed like an astonishing step for any racing organisation to take, let alone one that by royal charter is instructed to act for the long-term good of British racing in everything it does.
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