BHB Managing Director Chris Reynolds commented today:

“In the Gross Profits Tax environment, BHB’s fair and reasonable pricing structure for data, audio/video and audio packages is affordable and gives no cause for deductions to be imposed on punters. It is totally inaccurate for bookmakers to claim otherwise.

“It has been suggested that betting turnover could double under GPT but, even if it rises by a conservative 40%, the betting industry’s profits will increase substantially.

“It should be borne in mind that British bookmakers currently pay on average more than 2.5% of turnover for their racing product – some pay as much as 3.5-4% – and that 3% is the internationally accepted norm for purchasing pictures and data.

“The spotlight should not be on BHB’s pricing policy but on what SIS has been charging the betting industry and what it intends to charge small bookmakers from May 2002.

“BHB will be making a full presentation of its policy next month and will be making no further comment until then.”