Ascot racecourse announced its "intention to go it alone with a new on-course gambling operation called AscotBet just days after 56 of Britain’s tracks revealed plans to start up their own version of pool betting," according to Rob Wright of the LONDON TIMES. The changes have come about "because the Tote’s 90-year monopoly on pool betting expires at the end of July next year." Among the innovations planned is "flexi-betting," which is widely used in other countries but not in Britain. Ascot "understandably feels that many racegoers are put off" by the so-called "exotic bets" -- such as trifecta, exacta and jackpots -- because of their complexity. Flexi-betting means that punters "can decide how much they want to risk on these bets without needing to know exactly how many combinations are required." Ascot Communications Head Nick Smith said, "We want to make it easier for racegoers to have a chance to win big for small stakes." In association with Betfred, Ascot also intends to "create new bets for its racegoers, such as team bets on the popular Shergar Cup meeting, and special bets such as the number of winners that Frankie Dettori will have on the card." The size of the crowds at Ascot "means that it is confident that it can stand alone as a pool-betting operation" (LONDON TIMES, 4/4).
BETTING BONANZA: The Scotland DAILY RECORD reported Britain's bookmakers are "preparing for the biggest week of the year, which climaxes in the Grand National next Saturday." Up to £200M ($249M) will be wagered on the Aintree showpiece, "making it by far the single biggest betting event of the year," and with a full program of Premier League football and golf's first Major of the year, the Masters, also taking place, next weekend will "see punters seek to gain revenge for Cheltenham" in a £500M ($622M) betting spree (DAILY RECORD, 4/1).
