I have met with trainers at Lambourn previously and, last week, Stuart Andrew, the Minister for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society, visited Lambourn to meet the trainers and discuss the horseracing industry’s concerns about gambling reform.
I invited the Minister to visit following a meeting I had with him earlier in March regarding the proposed introduction of financial risk checks for gambling.
It was an encouraging discussion and the Minister confirmed that his Department will continue to engage directly with the industry throughout the pilot period to ensure that any introduction of financial checks for online gambling are as frictionless as possible.
You can read more here: Laura welcomes the Gambling Minister to Lambourn | Laura Farris
In October, I spoke in the debate on the future of British Horseracing. In this debate, I raised concerns about the Government’s Gambling Act Review, including serious concerns about the new affordability checks that are being proposed by the Gambling Commission.
Whilst the general ambition to tackle problem gambling is laudable and I am aware of the catastrophic effect it can have on peoples lives, the evidence shows that it occurs with greatest frequency in casino-like contexts (whether online or in person) like poker or roulette, and the online slot machines. It is far less a feature of horseracing where the odds change all the time and for many people, it is a big day out once or twice a year.
The Gambling Commission has suggested that anyone who loses more than £125 over a 30-day period will need to produce evidence of earnings with their next bet. Some bookies in Newbury have already starting introducing affordability checks of this nature and it has had a chilling effect on gambling levels because people are unwilling or unable to produce payslips or bank statements before placing a bet.
You can watch my full speech in the previous Westminster Hall debate here.
I know that the Government is aware of these industry concerns, and has been clear that any checks should not overregulate the gambling sector. I will continue to urge the Government to proceed with care and seriously consider whether affordability thresholds are appropriate for a sector like racing, which is not part of the problem these proposals are really seeking to address.
(April 2024)