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At The Races and UK Tote sign International deal

At The Races and the UK Tote today announced an agreement enabling international customers to bet into the Tote's UK pools while watching ATR's new thoroughbred-only racing channel, At The Races International.

This agreement means that, with immediate effect, bets placed on ATR racing product in Holland, Russia, Eastern Europe and North America can be commingled into the UK Tote's pools, thereby increasing the size of the pools which, in turn, will offer greater liquidity to the Tote's UK punters.

At The Races International

At The Races has developed in-house expertise for distributing British horseracing product internationally through its thoroughbred-only service which has been designed to be controlled from the UK and is aimed at maximising returns to British racing.

International punters are now able to watch British horseracing daily via At The Races International, a betting shop focused racing channel targeted specifically at the existing and emerging international pari-mutuel markets.

ATR International is currently available in Holland, Russia and Eastern Europe on the Sirius 2 satellite and will be, within weeks, in North America via the web and simulcast networks. There are a number of other countries lined up to take the service in the near future and further announcements will be made in due course.

Financial benefits for UK racing

New markets and more customers will inevitably lead to a considerable increase in international betting turnover on ATR's UK racing product. ATR's 28 UK racecourse partners stand to benefit from increased media rights payments as well as from money flowing back to the racecourses through the UK pools. The UK Tote will benefit from taking a commission on each bet placed as well as seeing its pools swell not only through current bet types on offer but also from others which will be introduced into the international service in time.

Matthew Imi, Chief Executive of At The Races, said "We are very pleased to have concluded our agreement with the Tote thereby cementing a valuable partnership which will bring nothing but financial benefits to British racing. Correctly managed and with the proper industry support, we view the international market as hugely valuable to our sport. At The Races, as a British company with the wellbeing of the British horseracing industry as its top priority, is in the best position to be able to maximise international revenues and feed them back into the sport."