Britain's bookmakers have warned they will mount a legal challenge against any decision by the Government to sell the Tote to the racing industry "on the cheap". The racing consortium, which includes Tote management and staff, the Racecourse Association and the Racehorse Owners Association, slashed its latest bid for the bookmaker last week from GBP 400m to GBP 320m, citing jittery credit markets.

Regarding the report "Major gambling changes on cards" (The Mercury, July 19) in which I was quoted, I would like to correct some misperceptions. In general, the contents of the KwaZulu-Natal Gaming and Betting Bill, 2007 do not herald major changes in gambling policy. By and large, the overall effect is that two existing pieces of legislation will be amalgamated.