UK: BHA and racing media to conduct survey on gambling affordability checks

Racing TV and the Racing Post will take part in the survey amid criticism of the Gambling Commission’s proposals.

UK.- The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) will conduct a survey of punters’ opinions on the Gambling Commission’s proposals to introduce financial risk checks for online betting and gaming. Racing TV, At The Races and the Racing Post will take part in the survey, which comes amid conflict over the issues between the gambling and horse racing sector and the British regulator.

The Gambling Commission is currently running a consultation on plans to introduce financial risk checks that it says will affect only 3 per cent of gamblers. The intervention of the BHA and media stakeholders aims to gather together anonymous opinions to inform a collective response.

The racing sector has been highly critical of the Gambling Commission’s proposals, which it says risk alienating bettors. They say some bettors are already facing restrictions from operators. In turn, the regulator’s CEO Andrew Rhodes has criticised media for publishing “imbalanced stories” on the topic.

The BHA’s director of corporate affairs Greg Swift said: “The BHA opposes blanket affordability checks, and we urge the government and the Gambling Commission to reconsider their proposals. We are also aware of the significant concern among racing fans about current and future affordability checks and are keen to provide them with a clear opportunity to have their views heard within the context of British racing’s consultation response.” 

Racing Post editor Tom Kerr added: “We’ve had thousands of emails, letters and messages from readers expressing dismay and anger about the Gambling Commission’s proposals for affordability checks and expressing huge concern over what they will mean for their pastime and for racing.

“It is vital that the voice of punters is heard in this consultation, and this survey is an important part of ensuring that happens.”

Racecourse Media Group (RMG) chief executive, Martin Stevenson, said: “It is vitally important we hear the attitudes of the consumers themselves in response to the affordability checks proposed by the Gambling Commission, and Racing TV is delighted to play its part in promoting such an important survey to our engaged audiences.”

The BHA’s survey will be available until October 9 and is intended to take five to 10 minutes to complete. It follows the same kinds of questions as the Gambling Commission’s own consultation but intends to present them in a more accessible format, with explanations for each proposal. The Gambling Commission’s consultation on financial risk checks will close on October 18.

Questions raised over Gambling Commission forecasts for financial risk checks

Meanwhile, the lobby group the Gamblers Consumer Forum (GCF) has written to the UK Statistics Authority to raise concerns about the Gambling Commission’s estimations for the number of gamblers that will be affected by the proposed checks. It’s asking the authority to comment on the methodology used for the statistics.

It said: “The proposed policy changes are predicated on the premise that “only 3%” of betting accounts would be subject to checks. The CEO of the Gambling Commission has made this claim on several occasions most recently in both the CMS Select Committee and in an open letter to Racing Post readers last week. 

“This figure is being used both to assuage opposition to affordability checks, and as a means to promote the concept of “frictionless” checks, despite the fact, based on evidence where affordability checks are already taking place, this is practically impossible.”

It notes that in the Gambling Commission’s consultation papers, a table suggests that 600,000 accounts will be subject to checks due to binge gambling and one million due to “significant losses”. It’s raised concerns that the regulator’s figures could have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and by the fact that some players have multiple accounts. It is asking the authority if it agrees with the data.

“If that is so, then we would welcome further comment on the 3% claim and how the Gambling Commission, and also the government who take their figures from the Commission, have arrived at such a figure,” it said.

“We believe this figure is being used to privilege a hypothesis that affordability checks will work, despite their unproven track record in combating addiction, and the underlying fact addiction cannot be characterised by losses.”

The GCF said it also believes that the Gambling Commission is using figures to support a proposal it has already decided to commit to. It argues that this undermines trust in the consultation process.