A schism has opened up at the heart of the £11.5bn-a-year [$15.3bn] gambling industry, after senior figures in horse racing broke ranks and signaled they would no longer object to tougher taxes and regulation of online casinos.
In a surprise development, likely to cause headaches for multibillion-pound companies such as Flutter and Entain, some of the most powerful figures in racing in effect turned their backs on digital slot machine and casino products.
The breakaway follows nearly six years in which racing has lined up alongside online casinos to lobby against tougher gambling regulation and taxes, under the auspices of an umbrella trade body, the Betting & Gaming Council (BGC).
