Long-term impact of dangerous affordability checks should not be underestimated, says Oli Bell

ITV Racing presenter Oli Bell has warned the impact of affordability checks on British racing’s funding should not be underestimated, predicting bettors will turn to illegal bookmakers if they are unable to bet through regulated operators.

The checks detailed in the Gambling Commission's public consultation, which was launched late last month and is scheduled to run until October, propose treating gambling winnings as net spend after a short window has elapsed and that enhanced checks should be rerun as often as every six months. 

Concerns have also been raised regarding how many punters who trigger checks will have to go through manual processes of uploading documents, as opposed to the 'frictionless' checks promised by politicians.

Bell, who joined ITV in 2017 and is a regular punter, fears the implementation of these measures could drive more punters to the unregulated black market, which would in turn have a dramatic knock-on effect on the sport's finances, an issue he believes is not being taken seriously enough.

"A fair proportion of punters are likely to find other bad outlets as a substitute if they are unable to deposit into a betting account," he said. "There is a very real scenario if extreme measures are implemented where unregulated bets will be laid on the black market – and that's a government concern.

"This is not only potentially very dangerous for the bettor for a number of reasons, it is also damaging for the exchequer and racing's funding. It will be an inevitable consequence of these measures and the long-term impact this will have on the sport should not be underestimated."

Bell added: "I think a lot of times people just state issues without offering solutions, so in order to move forward with this I think it’s important to stop apologising. Some risk is acceptable in life. This is basic economics, like taxing cigarettes to pay for the associated health costs. 

"Betting needs to be framed in terms of a cost-benefit analysis. The majority of people can do it in a way that isn’t considered harmful. There is obviously a small number of people whose lives are seriously affected by gambling, so why not set aside a percentage of industry profits to help treat the small percentage who require support?"

• How to respond to the Gambling Commission consultation: Views can be provided at this page. After completing the introductory questions, select 'Remote gambling: financial vulnerability and financial risk' from the 'Consultations contents page'. You may choose to answer as many or as few questions as you wish. Further Racing Post guidance on responding to the consultation can be found here.

• The Racing Post wants to hear from you: What has been your experience of affordability checks since the white paper was published at the end of April, and what do you think of the government's proposals? Have affordability checks affected your betting behaviour?
  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, your thoughts about the government's proposals, and your contact details.

Read more:

Betfair founder Andrew Black: 'Spanish Inquisition' Gambling Commission needs overhaul 

Affordability checks explained and how to respond to the Gambling Commission consultation 

Racing must react as another leading punter says no to affordability checks 

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