World Tote Association announces new board for 2025-26
The WoTA general meeting occurred at the Asian Racing Conference in Sapporo, Japan.
Japan.- The World Tote Association (WoTA) has announced the election of a new board 2025-26 at the WoTA annual general meeting at the Asian Racing Conference in Sapporo, Japan.
Fundi Sithebe, CEO of 4Racing in South Africa, and Keith Johnson, president of 1/ST Technology group/AmTote will chair the board. They will take over from Alex Frost, CEO of the UK Tote Group, and Hans Lord Skarploth, CEO of ATG in Sweden, who have co-chaired the WoTA since October 2022.
Meanwhile, Riko Luiking, general manager of German Tote, will take the role of Treasurer.
The organisation said key objectives for the upcoming two-year period will include creating stronger national and international betting pools, particularly through commingling, to support horseracing. It is also eying the expansion of pari-mutuel pool betting through the addition of new markets and sporting events content for the collective benefit of WoTA operators. The body also plans more work to tackle the challenge posed by illegal betting.
The AGM also discussed working on diversity and inclusion in the pool betting sector.
Sithebe and Johnson said in a statement: “We are delighted to be taking over as Co-Chairs of the World Tote Association. Over the last five years WoTA has made significant progress in developing the relationship between members and increasing understanding of the role pool betting plays in supporting horseracing around the globe.”
Luiking said: “We thank Alex and Hasse for their excellent stewardship, and the entire WoTA Board for their efforts, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders to further our collective ambitions for the good of horseracing and society as a whole.”
Frost and Skarploth’s period chairing the organisation has seen increased commingling between members and a new sports pool project. The WoTA said the new board will ensure the organisation advances in its overall goal to expand pool betting and increase the contribution generated for horseracing. It stressed that it aims to have a positive relationship with customers, governments, regulators and society at large.
World Tote Association calls for differentiated tax rate
The World Tote Association recently published a report that argues that tote betting should be taxed differently from other forms of gambling. The report says that pool betting on horseracing plays a vital role in the sustainability of the sport.
Authored by Martin Purbrick, the report is entitled Tote Betting and Horse Racing: Tax, Responsible Gambling, and Contributions to Society. It analysed tote betting in 77 jurisdictions, focusing on each market’s size and social contribution.
The report notes that in Europe alone, the horseracing industry has an estimated annual economic impact of €21.8bn. The European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF) says its members deliver 28,077 races a year at 350 racecourses, supporting 155,000 jobs and generating annual betting activity worth €35bn.
