Decision on possible debate over affordability checks delayed until the new year

The UK parliamentary committee charged with considering whether a debate will be held over the introduction of affordability checks has delayed a decision until at least the new year.

The 11-member Petitions Committee sat this week to review the progress of a number of parliamentary petitions, including the one launched in the name of Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale and backed by a large number of racing stakeholders which demands a halt to the implementation of affordability or financial risk checks as outlined in the government's white paper on reform of the 2005 Gambling Act. 

Industry estimates have placed the potential lost revenue for British racing over the next five years due to affordability checks in the region of £250 million, and the petition was launched in October, shortly after the Gambling Commission's consultation on the financial risk checks closed. 

The government was obliged to give a considered response once the petition cleared the hurdle of 10,000 signatures, and when that number passed 100,000 names on November 28, the subject automatically went to the petitions committee for review of a potential parliamentary debate on the matter. 

The committee examined the progress of ten different petitions during this week's session, among which only the one aimed at stopping affordability checks has passed the 100,000 signatures mark which requires consideration for parliamentary time. 

A message posted on the UK Parliament website stated that "the committee agreed to consider scheduling this petition for debate at a future date".

It is understood the committee will keep the possibility of a debate "under review", meaning the possibility or scheduling of one will be revisited at a future meeting. 

If and when a date for a debate is agreed, everyone who signed the petition will be notified, though the committee is not due to meet again before the turn of the year.  

Read more on affordability checks here

'We are listening' - Gambling Commission chief promises that consultations do lead to change 

Conservative MP adds to calls for petitions committee to agree to parliamentary debate on affordability checks 

'The government has been left in no doubt' - racing leaders call for opposition to affordability checks to be heeded  

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