Gamban Founder Calls for Horse Racing Exemption from UK Affordability Checks
Horse Racing Should be exempt From affordability Checks,Says Gambling Expert
Matt Zarb-Cousin,co-founder and director of external affairs at Gamban,a leading gambling blocking software provider,argues that horse racing should be exempt from the UK’s new affordability checks.
The Gambling Commission’s pilot program, launched in August, triggers more extensive financial checks for players when their monthly deposits reach £500. This threshold will be lowered to £150 in February 2025. The checks involve major UK operators and credit reference agencies,aiming to identify and protect players at risk of gambling harm.
However,the horse racing industry has been vocal in its criticism of the checks,arguing that it is being unfairly targeted compared to other forms of betting,such as online slots,which are considered higher risk.
Zarb-Cousin agrees, stating that horse racing needs to distance itself from online casino operations to avoid being caught in these regulations.
“I think horse racing needs to get as far away as possible from online casino, [which] is bringing the industry down,” Zarb-cousin said on the Barstewards Enquiry podcast. “My argument… is that the fact racing has not been able to extricate itself from online casino has meant it’s been caught up in these kinds of regulations.”
He proposes a separate license or platform for horse racing betting, arguing that this would create a distinct risk profile and prevent it from being subject to affordability checks.
“If racing was to delineate from the current online casino and slots operations… we wouldn’t be having a situation where racing could be subject to affordability checks,” zarb-Cousin added.”It’d be a fully different risk profile in terms of the products.”
Concerns Over Implementation and Impact
Zarb-Cousin also criticizes the Gambling Commission’s approach to implementing the affordability checks, arguing that the regulator lacks clarity and prescriptive guidelines.”The problem we have at the moment is the gambling commission describes itself as an outcome-based regulator… but it’s not explaining how it expects operators to conduct these checks,” he explained.
This lack of clarity, he argues, leads to inconsistent implementation, with different operators requesting varying levels of data and using different loss thresholds.
“It’s cumbersome, there isn’t a very streamlined technological solution, so what we’ve seen is I think the worst of all worlds,” Zarb-Cousin said.
The Jockey club, a leading horse racing trade body, estimates that the introduction of affordability checks could cost the UK industry over £250 million over the next five years.
Zarb-Cousin believes the checks are overly intrusive and ineffective, calling for a more prescriptive set of rules to govern their implementation.
“We’ve seen very, very intrusive checks that have not been effective, and from my perspective the problem is in the way the Gambling commission regulates,” he concluded.
Horse Racing Should be Exempt From Affordability Checks, Says Gambling Expert
Matt Zarb-Cousin, co-founder and director of external affairs at Gamban, a leading gambling blocking software provider, argues that horse racing should be exempt from the UK’s new affordability checks.
The Gambling Commission’s pilot program, launched in August, triggers more extensive financial checks for players when their monthly deposits reach £500. This threshold will be lowered to £150 in February 2025. The checks involve major UK operators and credit reference agencies, aiming to identify and protect players at risk of gambling harm.
However, the horse racing industry has been vocal in its criticism of the checks, arguing it’s being unfairly targeted compared to other forms of betting, such as online slots, which are considered higher risk.
Zarb-Cousin agrees, stating that horse racing needs to distance itself from online casino operations to avoid being caught in these regulations. ”My argument… is that the fact racing has not been able to extricate itself from online casino has meant it’s been caught up in these kinds of regulations,” Zarb-Cousin said on the Barstewards Enquiry podcast. He proposes a separate license or platform for horse racing betting, arguing this would create a distinct risk profile and prevent it from being subject to affordability checks.
Zarb-Cousin also criticizes the gambling Commission’s approach to implementing the affordability checks, arguing the regulator lacks clarity and prescriptive guidelines.”The problem we have at the moment is the gambling commission describes itself as an outcome-based regulator… but it’s not explaining how it expects operators to conduct these checks,” he explained. This lack of clarity,he argues,leads to inconsistent implementation,with different operators requesting varying levels of data and using different loss thresholds.
The Jockey Club, a leading horse racing trade body, estimates that the introduction of affordability checks could cost the UK industry over £250 million over the next five years.
Zarb-Cousin believes the checks are overly intrusive and ineffective, calling for a more prescriptive set of rules to govern their implementation. “We’ve seen very, very intrusive checks that have not been effective, and from my perspective the problem is in the way the Gambling commission regulates,” he concluded.