Tote Abandons Online Casino to Focus on Horse Racing

The UK Tote Group has announced plans to close its online gaming business as it shifts its focus towards horse racing.

The decision follows a strategic review of the business, which found that its growing digital operation was continuing to make a loss. In a recent announcement, the Tote said that increasing regulatory requirements and higher gambling taxes had contributed to this decision.

The restructuring will result in job losses in the company's digital division. However, Tote has pointed out that some new positions will be created elsewhere in the business.

The Tote is not abandoning online betting altogether. Its UK and Irish websites will continue to operate, offering horse racing pools, as well as a selection of fixed odds betting markets.

Why Is the Tote Closing Its Online Casino?

According to outgoing CEO Alex Frost, the Tote has invested heavily in its direct to consumer digital business in recent years. Yet, it has struggled to make the operation profitable.

The recent increase in Remote Gaming Duty, which rose from 21% to 40% in April 2026, has added further pressure. Frost explained that the company had decided to reduce its losses and concentrate on areas of the business that offered better opportunities for growth.

‘We have been growing our digital business quickly over recent years but it operates at a loss.’

The decision is significant because online casino gaming has become an increasingly important revenue stream for many UK gambling operators.

However, the Tote's experience demonstrates that growth does not necessarily translate into profitability. So, rather than continuing to compete in the wider online gambling market, the Tote is returning its attention to the product most closely associated with its name: horse racing.

World Pool Becomes the Tote's Priority

The Tote's renewed strategy will focus heavily on World Pool, an international horse racing betting initiative developed alongside the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Unlike traditional fixed odds betting, where bookmakers set the odds, pool betting combines stakes from multiple customers. The winnings are then shared between those who make successful selections, after deductions - just like the Tote originally was.

World Pool takes this concept internationally, combining bets placed in different countries into much larger pools.

According to the Tote, World Pool betting revenues have increased by approximately 40% in 2026 alone, with further double digit growth expected in 2027.

Its future investment will therefore concentrate on expanding international partnerships. All while supporting bookmakers, racecourses and other businesses that distribute Tote betting products.

Tote Announces New CEO as Alex Frost Steps Down

The restructuring of the online business happens to coincide with a change in leadership. Alex Frost will step down as CEO at the end of 2026, having led the business for almost nine years.

He will be replaced by James Coxon, who has more than 20 years of experience in the gambling industry, including senior roles at DraftKings and Gaming Innovation Group.

Frost will remain involved with the company as an Executive Director in 2027 before moving into a Non-Executive Director position.

The leadership change comes at an important point for the Tote as it attempts to capitalise on World Pool's growth and strengthen its position even further in international horse racing betting.