Tote Group Launches New Website
The UK Tote Group has launched its new digital platform as it looks to move into a brand-new era.
The pool betting service, affectionately known as the “Nanny Goat” around Britain’s racecourses, has undergone many changes in recent times and had been known as Alizeti until recently after the group had bought the system from Betfred.
The new site is to be made available on both mobile and desktop, tote.co.uk, and will feature a new initiative known as ‘Tote Guarantee’. The guarantee is a service aimed at ensuring the Tote will match the industry SP (starting price), or pay the final pool price should it be bigger, on all successful win bets placed via the site.
Tote Guarantee has already been tried out on a number of different racecourses during February and now the UK Tote Group has said it will continue to test the initiative. The guarantee will run throughout the rest of the month during meetings at Doncaster, Kelso, Newbury, Newcastle, Wolverhampton and Wincanton.
Additional Improvements to be Added
Tote.co.uk will continue to be put through its paces and will undergo further developments as time goes by, with additional features added and new customers who sign up being eligible to receive a £10 risk-free bet, something that puts the site in line with many more traditional online betting platforms.
The UK Tote Group’s managing director, Mark Kemp, has spoken out about the new platform and insists that horse racing fans and customers remain at the heart of everything the company is doing. Kemp also says that punters are central to the website’s launch and he thinks the Tote Guarantee is a major innovation for the pool betting experience overall.
Kemp has spoken to say that he believes this launch is only the beginning of a new era for the Tote which has a number of new developments it wants to roll out in the coming weeks during what he believes will be a really exciting time for the service, one that remains synonymous with racing.
Website is Natural Next Phase
The new Tote website was of course necessary and its launch represents a natural next phase for the service. It comes after what is now known as the UK Tote Group finally completed its buyout of the brand in October, a deal that ultimately saw it become the sole owner of the Tote having previously bought shares from Betfred.
Before Betfred’s takeover back in 2011 the Tote was a government-owned entity and has had a presence on racecourses since 1928 and in betting shops via its specialised bet slips and terminals, something that meant those betting off track could play the Placepot and Jackpot for example.
Just last month, the UK Tote Group confirmed that former chairman Eamonn Wilmott had stepped down from his role to focus on other commitments, including his role as the chair of Total Performance Data which he founded in 2013.
While pool betting remains much more popular in France and the USA via their pari-mutuel systems, having the option the Tote remains incredibly important for the UK racing industry.
Despite the presence of exchange platforms such as Betfair, it is crucial that the Tote survives and gives on-track punters the option of a pool bet however this new website could well lead to a tangible upsurge in Tote bets being placed around the country, something that may well halt the ever-growing number of online sportsbooks and crazy bonus offers being advertised.
