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How the Big Punting Survey will help us to know more about you and your concerns
The second iteration of the Big Punting Survey is here - Chris Cook outlines why your participation is important

For all those of you who have ever wanted to have your say on betting-related matters, here's your chance. The Racing Post has launched the second Big Punting Survey with the aim of finding out more about you, your habits and concerns.
It's two years since the original Big Punting Survey, the biggest survey we had ever run of racing bettors, which had an immediate impact and was hailed as "an important piece of research" by the BHA, the sport's ruling body. The full extent of the intrusion of affordability checks was laid bare by that survey, showing that one in six punters had already been asked to hand over payslips and bank statements to at least one bookmaker.

It was a wake-up call for those inclined to play down the impact of checks, imposed by bookmakers in response to Gambling Commission statements. "We will strongly encourage government and policy-makers to take this data on board," the BHA said at the time.

Our survey also uncovered the very real danger of bettors moving towards black-market bookmakers as a consequence of affordability checks. Some 3.6 per cent of respondents had used a black-market bookmaker within the previous year and a further 11 per cent knew somebody who had.
Take part in the next Big Punting Survey
The mood among punters was rebellious. More than half of those asked for documentation said they had refused to hand it over – and that position was arguably justified by what happened to those who attempted to comply, more than half of whom ended up with a staking limit being imposed or their account frozen. Meanwhile, 96.6 per cent of punters felt that it was they – as opposed to the government, the Gambling Commission or their bookmakers – who were best placed to assess whether their betting was affordable.

One in four people told us they were doing less betting on racing than they had been half a year earlier. Anyone who read the results of that survey would have been unsurprised by stories in the Racing Post last month, reporting that betting turnover was £3 billion less than it should have been, based on trends to March 2022.
Experience was in abundant supply among those who took part in our last survey, 73 per cent of respondents saying they were aged 55 or over, while those aged 25 or younger made up less than two per cent of the whole. We'd love to know whether there's been any gradual change to that picture over the past couple of years; so many of racing's PR initiatives are aimed at a younger audience but the sport seems a much more natural fit for people who have been around a bit longer, possibly because some spare time is needed to get the most out of racing.

How often do you bet? Multiple times per week, according to 38 per cent who answered in 2023, while 20 per cent were getting involved every day. But stakes were restrained, typically being £10 or less for half of the 10,000 who took part. How many were staking £250 or more on a regular basis? About two per cent.

Experts responded to our 2023 results by encouraging us to do follow-up surveys, so here we are again. Among the subjects we'd like to address is whether racing is able to keep attracting new supporters, of whatever age.
We know from what happened last time that our new survey will be relied upon by policy-makers and opinion-formers as an insight into the minds of those who bet on racing. So please take a moment to join in and help us to put together as accurate a picture as we can. Thanks for your time!
More findings from our last Big Punting Survey



The Big Punting Survey
The Big Punting Survey: have your voice heard on major betting issues
The Big Punting Survey 2023: one in six have already been hit with affordability checks
The Big Punting Survey 2023: revealing racing's 'Radio 4 problem'

The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Racing Post+ subscribers. Chris Cook, the reigning Racing Writer of the Year, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Racing Post+ subscriber? Join today
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