British horseracing emphasizes opposition to affordability checks in the Save our Bets campaign

(AsiaGameHub) –   Those against the measure contend that the Gambling Commission’s trial of affordability checks proved unsuccessful.

UK.- In the UK, the British horseracing industry has urged Department of Culture Media and Sport Secretary of State Lisa Nandy to halt the implementation of affordability checks for betting. The British Horseracing Association (BHA) anticipates the Gambling Commission will approve this policy next month.

An open letter, endorsed by 408 prominent individuals from the sport and several politicians, asserts that the Gambling Commission’s pilot program for these checks, initiated in 2024, has demonstrated they will not be entirely seamless.

The letter contends that immediate implementation would inflict permanent harm on British horseracing by diminishing betting revenue into the sport and pushing more bettors towards the expanding illicit gambling market.

Was the gambling affordability checks trial unsuccessful?

Betting operators involved in the pilot report that credit reference agencies yield significantly varied outcomes for identical customers. They also point to an inadequate amount of data for assessing customer risk. Consequently, certain customers would still need to furnish personal financial records, like payslips and bank statements, albeit at new, reduced thresholds compared to the existing 2024 Voluntary Industry Code.

Modelling by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) indicates that with net loss limits established at £1,000 within 24 hours and £2,000 over a 90-day period, around 120,000 racing bettors would undergo document verification, and 96,000 of these would subsequently be prevented from betting at the higher limit.

The BGC estimates that almost 45,000 of these individuals would migrate their activities to the illegal market. This move, according to the BHA, would result in a loss of £13.2m in Betting Levy payments for the racing industry, alongside additional financial repercussions for media rights and sponsorship deals with betting operators.

The letter declares: “The previous Conservative Government put forward affordability checks as part of its gambling strategy to modernise betting for the digital era. Although the intent was sound, the execution has fallen short. Rather than simplifying and securing betting for individuals, regulatory adjustments have only complicated it.”

“An advantage for the criminal underworld”

The letter characterises the measure as an “unparalleled governmental intrusion into individuals’ personal affairs”. It highlights that a Gambling Commission survey revealed 66 percent of bettors were uneasy with operators utilising credit reference data, and more than 100,000 people signed a petition opposing the checks in 2024.

“Despite our continuous cautions, the Commission appears determined to advance this highly contentious policy, irrespective of its impact on Britain’s second most-favoured sport. These suggestions would inflict enduring harm on a significant British industry that supports over 85,000 jobs, contributes more than £4bn to the national economy, and holds a leading position globally,” the letter asserts.

“Your administration showed its awareness of this danger when the Chancellor allocated £26m in her Budget to the Gambling Commission to combat the expanding illegal betting market. Imposing an additional regulatory layer at this juncture would be, at best, a serious error in judgment and, at worst, a boon to the criminal element profiting from these illicit betting activities.”

The BHA has aligned itself with the Save our Bets campaign, initiated by The Sun newspaper, and established an online platform enabling individuals to contact their local MPs, urging them to pressure the government to stop the checks. The campaign’s launch coincides with the Grand National this weekend, potentially boosting its visibility.