Debate About Affordability Checks
Since the publication of the UK Gambling White Paper in May 2023, one of the biggest talking points has been affordability checks. The paper proposed that stricter affordability checks would be put in place to help protect players and to stop overspending.
This topic reared its head in Parliament again this week, with Phillip Davies, the Conservative MP for Shipley, arguing that the proposed checks are ‘completely unacceptable’.
Speaking For The Punters
Mr Davies, the former chair of the former chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Betting and Gaming led the debate after a petition received more than 100,000 signatures against the proposed changes.
Davies said that he was speaking on behalf of two groups: the horse-racing industry, and punters. He said that the British betting public has had no say in the proposed changes and that they have been ignored during any discussions on the affordability checks. He added that it is ‘unacceptable’ that the government, the Gambling Commission, and bookmakers will be able to determine how much a punter can spend without any of their own input.
Davies also spoke in defence of the horse racing industry, stating it it derives much of its income from the industry, and that these affordability checks create the risk of punters going to the black market.
A Duty To Act Responsibly
As always, the topic turned out to be a contentious one. Carolyn Harris, the Labour MP for Swansea East, responded to Davies’s claims. She stated that while the overwhelming majority can gamble without a problem, there is a duty to act responsibly towards those who are vulnerable to addiction.
She insisted that she enjoys the occasional trip to the horse racing herself but that vulnerable people need protection and that financial checks were a logical step forward for the industry.
Pilot Test Of Checks
Despite the ongoing debate, the Gambling Commission is set to continue with its plans. It has announced that it will run a four-six month pilot test of its new financial risk assessment. This will involve credit reference agencies and gambling operators sharing data with one another.
The new scheme will see ‘light checks’ used to accounts that lose £125 over a 30-day period of £500 within a year. Enhanced checks will be applied to accounts that lose over £1,000 in 24 hours or £2,000 in 90 days.
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