Yachting New Zealand has received a warning letter from America's Cup organisers for signing a contract allowing the TAB to take bets on the regatta.
The letter, from America's Cup 2000 and the America's Cup Challengers' Association, does not initiate legal action, but does shift the focus of the discussions fromthe TAB to the yachting organisation.
America's Cup 2000 spokesman Alan Sefton said the letter had been sent after the organisers took legal advice.
"The letter reflected the advice we had received, and we are now awaiting a response from Yachting NZ before we determine what our next move, our next step, might be."
The TAB has been taking bets on the Louis Vuitton Cup challengers series since last Friday, after signing a contract with Yachting New Zealand.
But Team New Zealand, the defending syndicate, are unhappy because one of their main sponsors is another New Zealand gambling heavyweight, the Lotteries Commission.
America's Cup 2000 and the Challengers' Association argue that commercial-scale betting on the regatta is contrary to its 150-year history and spirit.
