Last month, the government asked a racing consortium comprised of the Racecourse Association, the Racehorse Owners' Association, Jockey Club Racecourses and Tote management to formulate an offer to buy the pari-mutuel wagering operation by 26 January. It is believed that the ‘plan B’ will be carried out if the racing consortium fails to meet the government’s £400 million asking price.

If the consortium is unable to submit a competitive offer, it is expected that one of the larg bookmaker companies will buy the Tote. The auction procedure will have to guarantee a high price.