Minister acknowledges racing's serious concerns over affordability checks

A government minister has acknowledged the British racing industry's concerns about the introduction of affordability checks and reiterated that such checks needed to be "proportionate".

Sports minister Nigel Huddleston was speaking in Westminster Hall on Tuesday in a debate on gambling-related harm, as the countdown continues to the publication of the government's gambling review white paper.

There has been major concern among racing figures about the potential impact of the gambling review on the sport, with one financial model estimating stringent action around affordability checks, advertising and sponsorship could cost the industry more than £100 million a year in revenues.

Speaking in the debate, Laurence Robertson, the MP for Tewkesbury whose constituency includes Cheltenham racecourse, emphasised the importance of tackling problem gambling but also claimed British racing received 45 per cent of its funding from bookmakers and that a balanced approach was needed as the sport was "very, very worried" about potential loss of income.

Laurence Robertson: racing 'very worried' about loss of incomeCredit: Nicholas Jones

In response, Huddleston, who had visited Nicky Henderson's stables in Lambourn on Monday with his parliamentary colleague Laura Farris MP, said the review was not looking "directly" at the levy, the sport's direct funding from bookmakers' profits.

He added: "We are certainly aware of the close relationship between racing and betting and the main area of concern I know from the horseracing industry is the affordability checks. As I said these are important but must also be proportionate. We are carefully considering the impact of all our proposals."

Earlier, Huddleston had described affordability checks as being "a key part of the tool kit for preventing the devastating losses which we have all heard about". However, he added: "But to be workable and prevent harm, checks need to be proportionate and done in a way that is acceptable to customers.

"We are keen to explore the role of data such as that held by credit reference agencies or that which is already used by operators to facilitate frictionless checks."

Calls for a ban on gambling advertising have also concerned racing's leadership given its importance to mainstream broadcasting of the sport on ITV.

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Huddleston said he recognised gambling advertising's role in providing financial support for broadcasters and sport but added: "Operators must advertise responsibly and we are committed to tackling aggressive practices."

Racing's position on gambling advertising was also acknowledged by Labour MP Carolyn Harris, one of the most prominent campaigners for gambling reform and who had called the debate.

She said non-gambling sponsors were ready to fill any gap created by a ban on gambling advertising, adding: "With our proposed carve out for sectors such as horseracing we can ensure protection on all sides."

Harris called the review a "once in a generation chance to update our laws", adding: "All we want and all we are asking for is effective protections to be put in place for customers and for an industry that is all too often shamelessly exploitative to be reined in and regulated effectively."

Huddleston said the white paper was a priority and that it would be published "in the coming weeks".

Read more:

'It could kill racing stone dead' – dire warnings of £100m hit to the sport

Chancellor Rishi Sunak raises racing industry's concerns over gambling review

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