Irish will not take over British Tote

Wigan: It seems that the Tote in Britain will not come under Irish ownership, once it becomes privatised.

The government-owned business — which runs betting outlets at 60 British racecourses — has been up for sale since earlier this year. As of yesterday, which was the closing day for bids for the business, the likes of Sportech and Betfred were heavily linked with bids, although a small number of additional expressions of interest were expected. Although it has always distanced itself from the process, Paddy Power’s name has continued to be mentioned as a potential buyer. A spokesperson for them said that the company doesn’t comment on such speculation. However, it seems certain that Paddy Power was not about to throw its hat into the ring for the Tote yesterday.