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Both Ladbrokes and Coral, owned by the same parent company in GVC, will withdraw on-track betting operations in Britain and Ireland, according to The Guardian.

In total, GVC owned 85 pitches in the UK and 21 in Ireland; all have been sold to John Hooper (seen on-track as Sid Hooper), which also purchased the 82 pitches of William Hill two years ago.

“The volume of business taken through the racecourse pitches is minuscule compared to the volumes generated in our off-course retail and digital businesses, and we no longer use the operation to hedge into the racecourse betting ring,” said Tom Ritzema, GVC's trading director.

“As the racecourse operation is loss-making and no longer has a strategic purpose, we have regrettably reached the decision to sell our pitches and leave the ring. The current situation with Covid-19, and racing behind closed doors, expedited the decision but was not one of the factors behind it.”

Read more at The Guardian.

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Ladbrokes and Coral will no longer have a presence in racecourse betting rings after their parent company GVC announced it will cease operation of all of its 106 racecourse betting pitches, which have been sold to John Hooper.

“This decision has not been taken lightly, and we are very sad to be calling time on Ladbrokes and Coral’s longstanding presence in the racecourse betting ring,” said GVC’s Trading Director Tom Ritzema. “GVC remains totally committed to horse racing, with a significant race sponsorship portfolio under the Ladbrokes and Coral brands, and we are the biggest single provider of betting revenues to the sport.”

“A number of factors combined to lead us to conclude that a presence in the racecourse betting ring is no longer a strategic imperative for our two UK brands,” Ritzema continued. “The volume of business taken through the racecourse pitches is minuscule, compared to the volumes generated in our off-course retail and digital businesses, and we no longer use the operation to hedge into the racecourse betting ring. As the racecourse operation is loss-making and no longer has a strategic purpose, we have regrettably reached the decision to sell our pitches and leave the ring. The current situation with Covid-19, and racing behind closed doors, expedited the decision but was not one of the factors behind it.

“Standing in the betting ring will always be a huge part of both Ladbrokes and Coral heritage and history, and we are immensely proud of that. However, the betting landscape has changed immeasurably in recent years, and we need to change with it. We would like to wish John Hooper the best of fortune with our pitches, going forward.”

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