Government says it has been 'listening carefully' during development of interim solution to affordability checks

The UK government has said it has listened to horseracing while working with the betting industry and Gambling Commission on an interim code for affordability checks, which is expected to be announced shortly.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said the interim solution would reduce the number of checks undergone by customers while a new 'frictionless' system of checks is developed.

Last April, the government's gambling white paper proposed two tiers of affordability checks on punters, with the second enhanced level involving detailed checks on a customer's finances triggered by a net loss of £1,000 in 24 hours, or £2,000 within 90 days.

However, in the meantime work has been carried out on an industry-led code that would apply in the interim period before a new system is introduced to mitigate what gambling minister Stuart Andrew has described as the "onerous, ad hoc and inconsistent" checks being applied by operators currently.

Details of this work have emerged this week, including that the interim code will include much higher triggers for enhanced checks understood to come in once a customer's net deposits reach £5,000 a month and £25,000 in a year.

Asked about the progress of the work on affordability checks, a DCMS spokesperson said: "As outlined in the gambling white paper, we will be bringing in light-touch, frictionless financial risk checks to replace the current system of intrusive, inconsistent checks on customers. 

"The Gambling Commission will shortly be publishing its response to a public consultation on these checks.

"However, we have been listening carefully to a range of voices – including horseracing – and have been working with industry and the Gambling Commission to develop an interim solution, which will reduce the number of checks on customers while we design and implement the new system. This interim solution will be set out in due course."

Once the Gambling Commission publishes its response to the public consultation on affordability checks, a four-to-six month pilot of the new frictionless system of enhanced checks is due to follow.

However, speculation continues that there will be a general election this autumn and Laurence Robertson MP, whose Tewkesbury constituency includes Cheltenham racecourse, is concerned the political timetable could interfere.

He said: "The pilot could take four to six months and we are in mid-April already. By the time that is through there is going to be a general election so who is going to actually implement it?

"I think time is against it and I am a bit confused about what the government is doing."

Robertson, who along with other MPs is still seeking a meeting with prime minister Rishi Sunak on the subject of affordability checks, added: "I think they should draw a line under the whole thing and have a rethink and have a look at it all again, especially as we are going to run into the general election buffers. 

"What we don't want is rushed through legislation in the wash-up just before the election."

Read these next:

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Gambling Commission 'working really hard' - but racing still waits for results of affordability checks consultation 

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