'Affordability checks are already pushing people into unprotected places' - John Gosden calls on government to grasp black market issue

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The inability of government to grasp the scale of the growth in black market betting caused by affordability checks is severely harming punters and racing, according to John Gosden.

The multiple champion Flat trainer said senior figures within the past and present governments were not appreciating the “massive explosion” in illegal wagering brought on by bookmakers carrying out affordability checks and other interventions, such as on anti-money laundering.

Gosden's own intervention comes as BHA chief executive Brant Dunshea said he was “losing patience” with the messaging over the pilot of frictionless checks, and urged the Gambling Commission to listen and engage with people trying to warn of the issues.

Dunshea is set to meet acting Gambling Commission chief executive Sarah Gardner and gambling minister Baroness Twycross as concerns increase that affordability checks could be signed off as soon as next month.

To add your signature to the campaign against affordability checks, visit https://saveourbets.eaction.org.uk/ and follow the instructions.

Gosden said: “I went to a meeting at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the time of the previous government with people there who were at ministerial level. The problem then, that remains now, is an inability to grasp the issue here, and the biggest problem is the massive explosion in the size of the black market this has caused. 

“These checks force people there [to the black market], and it’s easy for them to bet as the illegal operators don’t do any checks, or put in place any protections. The problem is the people in charge seem to think this will stop people from betting in a harmful way, but it doesn't – they just go to the illegal market. 

“In the US, they brought in prohibition in the thirties but they found that if someone still wants to have a drink, they will. This led to speakeasies and bootleggers providing what people still wanted. 

"With the best will in the world, affordability checks are already pushing people into unprotected places, and that’s tragic in itself.”

In last year’s budget, the Gambling Commission was given an extra £26 million to tackle illegal betting over the next three years. In addition, new powers to combat black market sites are due to come in under updated legislation.

However, the size of the problem facing the regulator was showcased this month in an investigation by Alex Wood, a government adviser and co-host of the BBC's Scam Secrets, who found “widespread promotion” of black market betting sites on social media.

Alex Wood: found "widespread promotion" of black market betting sites across social media platforms

Wood went on to bet on these unlicensed sites on the Cheltenham Festival having registered as Willie Mullins, Harry Skelton, Constitution Hill and a six-year-old girl living at Buckingham Palace.

A YouGov survey carried out by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) published this month showed two-thirds of punters would be unwilling to provide documents to bookmakers to continue betting if triggering an affordability check. 

The BGC also estimated that as much as £100m had been bet with black market operators during the Grand National meeting at Aintree.

Last week, the Gambling Commission published its first update on the pilot for 11 months, in which Helen Rhodes, the commission's director of major policy projects and evaluation, claimed commentary around checks had been "ill-informed or inaccurate" and that the pilot had given "very encouraging findings on how frictionless and speedy assessments could be".

However, Dunshea, speaking on Racing TV's Luck on Sunday programme, urged the Gambling Commission to listen and engage with people trying to warn of the issues.

He said: “I’m actually really quite frustrated by this, and I’m losing patience with the rhetoric that’s being communicated around the pilot. 

"The Gambling Commission needs to be open and honest about this, and they need to acknowledge consumers, stakeholders and operators who are trying to help them to help [racing], and the broader challenge around gambling harms. 

Brant Dunshea: "I’m actually really quite frustrated by this"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

“A frictionless check doesn’t necessarily mean that if there isn't suitable guidance for operators that it doesn’t trigger something else in the background, that means all of a sudden there is a case it no longer becomes frictionless.

“The Gambling Commission needs to be really honest about this and engage with stakeholders in a way that helps them understand the realities of this.”

Dunshea added that the BHA was “being bolder” in its messaging on the risks attached to affordability checks, in terms of damage to the funding of the sport and the growth of the black market, and was working closely with the BGC to ensure the points were put across as effectively as possible.

This month, an open letter was sent to culture secretary Lisa Nandy with signatures from more than 400 figures from British racing and supported by the Racing Post, calling for the introduction of affordability checks to be halted. 

James Noyes, a prominent gambling reform campaigner, also called for a pause due to concerns around "inconsistent data, unclear outcomes and unnecessary friction".

Read these next:

'Our sport's in danger if we don't get it right' - Kim Bailey warns of impending disaster for racing due to affordability checks 

Affordability check results cannot be trusted, Gambling Commission told, as it moves closer to decision on controversial scheme 

Affordability checks pushing punters to illegal operators as well as on-course market, says owner and former bookmaker 

To add your signature to the campaign against affordability checks, visit https://saveourbets.eaction.org.uk/ and follow the instructions. 

The Racing Post also wants to hear from you: What has been your experience of affordability checks? It's a chance for your voice to be heard. Email the Racing Post at editor@racingpost.com with the subject 'Affordability checks' to share your experiences and your contact details.