There is a long and inglorious history in racing of individual bodies or businesses opting for short-term gain ahead of the broader interests of the sport. But even so the Jockey Club’s decision to sign a five-year deal with the gaming giant Playtech, which was announced last week, feels like a new low.
The result, according to Playtech’s casino director, James Frendo, will be “a full range of exceptional and exciting cross-product content”. Or the Jockey Club flogging Playtech some racing-themed wrapping paper for software that mechanically grinds a fixed percentage of turnover from its users, depending on your point of view.
