British Horseracing Board chairman Peter Savill today repeated his call for the Government to allow betting to take place in places where alcohol is served.
Speaking at the Racehorse Owners Association AGM, Savill cited the freedom that exists to bet and drink together in America and Australia as a powerful argument for the deregulation of current restrictions in Britain.
"How long is it going to be before we will be allowed to drink and bet?" said Savill.
"If you are in the pub with a mobile phone you can have a bet. If you are at home, watching racing on TV, you can have a beer and a bet. And you can bet on racecourses and drink."
Savill also maintained that Ladbrokes run a betting "emporium" in Philadelphia in which alcohol is served.
"What is so different about British punters?" he asked.
However, Tom Kelly, of the Betting Offices Licensees Association, rejected Savill's claims.
Kelly argued that it was not "socially responsible" to encourage betting and drinking.
He added that bookmakers' studies had found that allowing betting in pubs and clubs would not, as Savill had suggested, result in any increase in betting turnover but simply "transfer" wagering to different locations from existing betting shop outlets.
Kelly also maintained that America and Australia were "different cultures where different systems of betting apply".
He further claimed that there were greater incidences of "problem gambling" in Australia and America than in Britain.
According to Kelly, bookmakers will give written evidence to the gambling review body, set up by the Government to consider the current legislation, for its deadline of July 21st.
He said that this would be followed by oral evidence
In his speech addressed to the ROA, Savill called for British racecourses and all other involved parties to hand over complete responsibility to the BHB to negotiate any sale of media rights to the bookmakers.
ROA president Sir Eric Parker revealed that the ROA Council had proposed to the BHB that trainers, jockeys and stable staff share in appearance money payments on Sunday.
"We have proposed that for every race on Sunday where each runner attracts £300 owners' appearance money, that the owner pays the trainer £24 per runner, the jockey £18 per runner and the stable staff £18 per runner.
"For races where owners' appearance money is £500 our proposal is that the payment to the trainer is £40 per runner, to the jockey £30 per runner and to stable staff £30.
