Betfred, Coral and Ladbrokes link up with Hong Kong pools

Bookmakers Betfred, Coral and Ladbrokes are to begin offering customers in the UK the opportunity to place bets on pari-mutuel pools in Hong Kong.

Under the agreement brokered between the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and the UK Tote, punters signed with any of the three operators can bet online or in-shop.

The deal does not cover fixed-odds betting and such services will not be made available to customers, while SIS will distribute live footage of Hong Kong races to the bookmakers.

George Irvine, co-mingling director at the HKJC, said the organisation expects to bring more bookmakers on board in the coming months as it seeks to further expand its presence in the UK betting market.

“A high street presence is a must in the UK market, and this agreement will enable some of the world’s finest racing fans to participate in the excitement of Hong Kong’s competitive racing,” Irvine said.

“This deal ensures Hong Kong racing will be available in thousands of retail betting outlets, while future agreements we are finalising will enable delivery direct to millions of UK households.

“Meanwhile, the placement of Hong Kong race cards in the Racing Post will reliably inform punters in a familiar style.”

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