British and Irish World Pool days grow 44% in 2022

Monday 17th October 2022

• 17 British and Irish World Pool days generate £521 million in Gross Turnover

• QIPCO British Champions Day grows by 43% to Gross Turnover of £27.9 million

Great Britain and Ireland’s 17 World Pool days grew 44% in 2022 with a Gross Turnover of £521 million, up from £363 million in 2021.

Each of the World Pool racedays, commencing with QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day and running through the major summer festivals, concluding at QIPCO British Champions Day, have enjoyed significant double-digit growth. The final World Pool day of the year was QIPCO British Champions Day which saw Gross Turnover growing 43% to £27.9 million compared to 2021 levels.

The growth in World Pool has been generated through more bet types being available, along with closer collaboration on optimising the race programme to ensure strong field sizes of 7+ horses wherever possible. This ensures all bet types are available to racing fans around the globe which, combined with more investment in marketing and production, has grown turnover and increased the financial returns World Pool makes to the sport.

World Pool was created by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and is a collaboration of over 20 pool betting operators from around the globe.  The result is huge liquidity, and a multi-million pound betting experience for racing fans. Not only does World Pool help further internationalise the sport and shine the global spotlight on participating racecourses, but it also generates critical betting revenue and increased media rights for the underlying racing industry. 

Exceptional Value for British and Irish Tote customers on World Pool days

In the UK and Ireland, World Pool is accessed via the Tote. Bets can be placed on World Pool events at the racecourse, online at tote.co.uk (or tote.ie for Irish customers), as well as at the Tote App or via bookmakers, the majority of whom accept Tote bets online and in shops.

All customers betting with the Tote, both online or at the racecourse, not only benefit from World Pool, but also benefit from Tote Guarantee which ensures all Win bets will always match the Starting Price, or exceed it if the pool price is bigger. Customers betting directly with the Tote online receive an extra 10% boost on winning bets via Tote+.

The Tote once again offered customers exceptional value across the six races at QIPCO British Champions Day:

• Tote+ Win beat SP in 4 of the 6 races (and matched on the remaining 2 with Tote Guarantee in place)

• Tote+ Win overround was 107% vs the industry Starting Price overround of 121%

• Tote+ Exacta beat Forecast on 5 out of 6 races

• Tote+ Trifecta beat Tricast on 2 out of 6 races, with the Tote+ Trifecta paying £39,094 versus a Tricast of £10,659 in the final race

Across the summer World Pool has provided unique and exceptional value to British and Irish customers:

• Tote+ SP has beaten industry SP 73% of the time

• A £10 bet on all winners across the 17 World Pool days with Tote+ would generate £2,333 more than placing those bets at Industry SP

• Tote+ overround was 104% compared to 121% industry SP

• The Tote+ Exacta has beaten the Forecast 85% of the time

• The Tote+ Trifecta has beaten the Tricast 74% of the time

Annabel Willis and Alpinista crowned World Pool “Moment of the Year”

On QIPCO British Champions Day, Annabel Willis was presented with a cheque for £34,000 in the paddock at Ascot ahead of racing for her to share with her colleagues at Sir Mark Prescott’s yard.

After thousands of votes, Annabel and Alpinista were the most popular choice with racing fans for the filly’s stunning performance in the Group 1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor Festival in August.

The other three finalists, as decided by an industry panel, were all presented with a memento at Ascot:

• Reg Todd who led up Dark Shift to win the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot. Reg has worked for Charlie Hills for over 30 years – and this was his first time leading up a Royal Ascot winner.

• Ricky Hall who led up Baaeed when he recorded his stunning 10th consecutive win in the Juddmonte International at York.

• Satrejeet Jhingree who led up Highfield Princess when she landed her second Group 1 in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

All 16 members of racing staff who won World Pool Moment of the Day through the season received £1,000 and a bottle of champagne.

 Global collaboration continues to grow World Pool

Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director Wagering Products of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We are delighted to see British and Irish World Pool days grow so strongly this year with the sporting action proving increasingly popular with racing fans, who appreciate seeing the best horses and jockeys competing at a wide variety of fantastic racecourses. We have enjoyed working in collaboration with our racecourse partners, Racecourse Media Group and the UK Tote, and we look forward to continuing to work together as we make plans for the 2023 season.”

Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group, said: “Everyone at the UK Tote is enormously proud to be part of World Pool as it continues to grow, thereby increasing both the financial return it contributes to British and Irish racing and the excellent value it creates for racing fans betting with the Tote. The implicit ambition of World Pool is to ensure an additive and more sustainable funding mechanism for horseracing, with wagering customers enjoying an improved value proposition.

“I would like to thank the teams at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, our racecourse partners and Racecourse Media Group for ensuring the 2022 World Pool season was such a success in Britain and Ireland. I would also like to offer my appreciation and thanks to the connections of horses who have won and competed in World Pool races this year given the support of owners, trainers and jockeys is an essential part of World Pool’s growth in 2023 and beyond.”

Please visit https://worldpool.hkjc.com/ for full details about World Pool and follow @WorldPool on Twitter for all the latest news.

ENDS.

For further information, please contact:

Susannah Gill
Communications and Corporate Affairs Director
UK Tote Group
susannah.gill@uktotegroup.com
07751 870 929

Notes to editors

Great Britain and Ireland have hosted the following World Pool days in 2022:

• QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Rowley Mile Racecourse, Saturday 30th April

• Cazoo Oaks Day – Epsom Downs Racecourse, Friday 3rd June

• Cazoo Derby Day – Epsom Downs Racecourse, Saturday 4th June

• Royal Ascot – Ascot Racecourse, Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th June

• QIPCO King George Diamond Day – Ascot Racecourse, Saturday 23rd July

• Qatar Goodwood Festival – Goodwood Racecourse, Tuesday 26th to Thursday 28th July

• Ebor Festival – York Racecourse, Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th August

• Longines Irish Champion Stakes Day – Leopardstown Racecourse, Saturday 10th September

• QIPCO British Champions Day – Ascot Racecourse, Saturday 15th October

There are seven bet types in World Pool for 2022, including the Exacta and Treble for the first time:

• Win (Single Leg bet) – Pick the winner of the race

• Place (Single Leg bet) – Pick a horse to be placed. Hong Kong place terms apply

• Exacta (Single Leg bet) – Pick the first two horses in the correct order 

• Trifecta (Single Leg bet) – Also known as the Tierce. Select the winner, the second, and the third horse in the correct order

• Quinella (Single Leg bet) – Select the first two finishers in either order

• Swinger (Single Leg bet) – Also known as the Quinella Place, pick two horses to finish first, second or third in any order

• Treble (Multi Leg bet) – Pick the first horse in three races 

About UK TOTE GROUP

UK Tote Group is the proud owner and steward of the Tote, the UK’s leading pool betting operator.

The Tote has been a core part of British horseracing since 1928 when it was established by Parliament under Winston Churchill as Chancellor of the Exchequer, to provide the public with a safe way to bet and vital funding for the sport.

UK Tote Group is committed to fulfilling Churchill’s founding mission through a revitalised Tote which provides better value and an improved experience to customers, as well as funding for British horseracing. 

The 90-year-old British company is backed by racehorse owners and breeders from around the world. It has an exclusive partnership with British racecourses to provide pool betting services to the six million people who attend race meetings in Great Britain every year, alongside an alliance with Tote Ireland.

The Tote employs 170 people who are based in the Tote’s main office in Wigan and a satellite office in London.