'Roulette with animals' - why US interest in UK betting giants is a major worry
The challenges facing British racing as we enter 2021 have been well documented in recent days, but while Covid-19 is the most immediate threat there are plenty of issues surrounding the betting industry to be negotiated.
The Gambling Commission's affordability consultation and the government's review of the 2005 Gambling Act are both areas of concern for the sport given their potential impact on racing's income, but news from across the Atlantic this week could also have an effect in the longer term.
Reports last weekend that US casino giant MGM Resorts International had made a takeover offer for Entain were confirmed by the owner of Ladbrokes and Coral first thing on Monday morning, although the company formerly known as GVC Holdings said the £8.1 billion proposal undervalued it.
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- We know that times are tight - but racecourses really do need to step up and improve outdated weighing rooms
- The budget has heaped even more trouble on racing - and I fear many trainers will now decide the numbers just don't add up
- Why I think Cheltenham Festival handicaps need to change - JP McManus writes exclusively for the Racing Post
- No-one has ever emerged from the womb wearing a trilby - racing's future survival hangs on pursuing a young audience
- Four score and ten just a number to Peter Harris as July Cup triumph shows there's more to the elderly than medical conditions