by Renee Israel
UK bookies and the racing industry are in the midst of a battle that is becoming uglier by the day.
The two sides have until October to reach an agreement regarding the amount of levy that the bookmakers need to pay the racing industry.
If they don't manage to agree on a sum, the government will step in and make a decision for them - something that both sides want to avoid, but will probably have no choice but accepting.
The gambling industry is of the opinion that the levy they are forced to pay is nothing more than a crutch for an industry that is being run badly by amateur people.
On the other hand, the racing industry is demanding that the bookies increase the sum they are currently paying because they use racing data as a vehicle for their businesses.
While the racing industry lead by racecourse owners such as Simon Bazalgette of the Jockey Club want to see bookies pay up to GBP 150 million in levies, bookies are only prepared to pay up to GBP 62 million.
The par between the two parties is obviously huge and Bazalgette said in a recent interview: "It is not looking good that any deal will be done."
While the UK public is prone to take the side of one party or the other, Bazalgette is surprisingly objective.
"There will be an ongoing, increasingly public spat," he warned. "The trouble is the statutory process forces you to have a fight. I would love to say it is just the bookmakers, but racing itself is very good at having a fight."
He also warned that there will be "increasingly acrimonious public statements" while nobody will know what is happening behind the scenes.
