THE country’s leading bookmaking entities have now made their corporate move for survival and consolidation and have by this initiative sent a powerful message of their intention to remain strong, independent and to protect themselves in a challenging environment.

Champion, Track Price Plus and Markham will now be operated under one umbrella known as Post to Post Betting. This amalgamation is set to benefit from economies of scales, a reduction in operating costs and the possibility of a qualitative development in the use of technology bringing new betting opportunities with the intent of lessening the reliance on local racing. Reducing costs to survive and hopefully to increase profits seems to be the principal objectives of this merger, especially with the recent increase in taxes, the industry is forced to pay by Government and the decline of interest in horse racing.

There is common understanding that local horse racing is in trouble primarily because this Government-operated activity has not retrofitted to meet the demands of a technology-based gaming industry, which finds sturdy manifestation in the lottery, Cash pot, and the plethora of well-designed and outfitted gaming lounges which now litter the country. More persons with disposable income bet on the horse racing machines in the gaming lounges than on live racing.

Local horse racing is the bread and butter betting option offered by the bookmakers. It is literally the ‘be all and end all’ of the bookmakers’ existence and no amount of other sports betting, be it cockfight, football, cricket, NFL, and others can adequately replace the propriety of local racing as the feeding tree for bookmakers in Jamaica.

The merger of the local bookmaking entities must therefore be taken in this context. The bookmakers simply cannot allow racing to go further into the quagmire it currently finds itself. If local racing declines further, the bookmakers can literally pack their bags and go home.

Do not be surprised if Post to Post Betting, the new entity, cements its position by suggesting to the promoting company of racing, Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), the option of not selling local bets on local race days up to post time for the first race. This would truly be a revolution in the thinking of the bookmakers and would represent an honourable gesture of cooperation to the public. Fact is though this option should never have been offered to the bookmakers in the first place, but such is life and the benefit of powerful lobbying.

This proposal, insiders say, is more than likely to be cushioned by the bookmakers using the majority of their over 180 betting shops, as CTL off-track betting stations at the available commission which now stands at a paltry five and a half per cent. If this change takes place, CTL will significantly benefit and it might just be the catalyst racing needs to not only survive, but to progress in a profitable direction.

By moving in this direction, the bookmakers in one fell swoop will obliterate its present negative image, whose existence is predicated on the sweat of others. They would now be viewed as a progressive organisation working in the best interests of racing.

Changing times demand innovative thinking and bold decisions to be taken. Things cannot remain static; if it does we will all spiral in a warp of failure.

The bookmakers have made their move, let us watch and see.