Racing should run itself without undue interference from Whitehall

Mike O'Brien, Home Office Minister

The Bill will include proposals for a new watchdog to regulate and monitor racecourse betting.

Responsibility for funding the industry will be transferred from the government's Horserace Betting Levy Board to the sport's governing body, the British Horseracing Board (BHB).

Funding options

The Board published a paper in October outlining options for funding racing in the UK.

These included selling a package of fixture lists, data and television signals to bookmakers and the media.

The government has said it is up to the industry and bookmakers to come to a commercial agreement on a price for these packages.

It is believed that giving the industry the power to raise funds itself will enable it to raise over and above �60m each year.

Tote will be independently valued before being sold to the industry, at a reduced rate.

Exclusive licence

The trust which will take over Tote is expected to be made up of the BHB, the Racing Association, the Racehorse Owners' Association, the Jockey Club and the present Tote regime.

It is also likely to include consumer representatives.

Under the new arrangements, the 39-year-old Tote will retain the exclusive licence for pool betting on horseraces for the next 15 years.

The plans, which were first announced by Home Secretary Jack Straw in March, were detailed in a consultation document published on Wednesday.

Fair deal for the punter

Launching the paper, Home Office Minister Mike O'Brien said: "Racing is a mature industry which should run itself without undue interference from Whitehall. That is what I want to see happen.

"The BHB's plan for the future funding of the sport shows that racing can operate without a statutory levy."

He added: "Abolition of the Levy Board, together with the proposed sale of the Tote, also provide us with an opportunity to update and streamline the way in which racecourse betting is licensed and regulated.

"Our proposals are aimed at combating criminal infiltration into betting and racing, ensuring a fair deal for the punter and opening up new opportunities for all those involved in the on-course betting market."

Under the new scheme, the BHB will take over the Levy Board's responsibility for veterinary research and education through the Horseracing Forensic Laboratory.

The future of the National Stud is still under consideration, but the Home Office has proposed that it could extend its activities from breeding thoroughbreds to the preservation of rare native breeds and the support of veterinary research.