Wagering behemoth Entain Australia reveal plans to disband Ladbrokes Racing Club
Entain Australia has announced plans to bring its popular Ladbrokes Racing Club program to a close.
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Wagering behemoth Entain Australia has made the difficult decision to disband its cutting-edge Ladbrokes Racing Club (LRC) program.
Ladbrokes Racing Club, which launched amid much fanfare in 2023, has been responsible for racing thoroughbreds, standardbreds and greyhounds across all three codes, bringing Club members along for the ride.
But despite its success and growing popularity, Entain Australia boss Dean Shannon said varying reasons had led to the organisation making the call to discontinue LRC as it is known today.
“We are proud of Ladbrokes Racing Club and the opportunity it has presented to thousands of customers to experience a race day as an owner,” Shannon said.
“Unfortunately, the Club is not immune to the rising cost of operating pressures currently affecting the wagering sector.
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“The increasing product fees and taxes in Australia along with the rising cost of racing has forced tough decisions to be made regarding these extra initiatives.
“While the Club will no longer have a presence on the racetrack, our commitment to being a proud racing-first brand remains, with several new initiatives to be rolled out in 2025 for members.
“The Ladbrokes Racing Club was established to bring passionate like-minded fans closer to the action by creating a community for them to interact – something we are excited to continue this year.”
The decision to disband Ladbrokes Racing Club in the coming months comes at a pivotal time as the wagering sector patiently awaits the Federal Government’s response to the online gambling inquiry.
Raising further pressure, wagering companies are also locked in discussions with the AFL over a new product fee agreement, with the governing body looking to extract significantly more money from betting on their product for the 2025 season and beyond.
Entain Australia is also bracing for the finalisation of an investigation by AUSTRAC into potential anti-money laundering laws.
Over the coming months, representatives of LRC will work towards parting ways with racing stock under its ownership control, with welfare central to any transaction.
Some instances are more complex to navigate than others, with Entain Australia enjoying strong ties with leading studs including Newgate Farm.
It’s understood some horses will be transferred to race in New Zealand while some will be up for sale on Inglis Digital in the near future.
Despite the cessation of Ladbrokes Racing Club, Entain Australia remains unwavering in its support of the Australian racing industry, pledging tens of millions of dollars in sponsorships across all three codes.
While on the Australian front Ladbrokes Racing Club will come to a close, Shannon said Entain’s commitment in New Zealand will continue.
“The TAB Racing Club in New Zealand will remain unaffected and continue to be active on the track.”
Originally published as Wagering behemoth Entain Australia reveal plans to disband Ladbrokes Racing Club
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