The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), on behalf of a number of the sport’s key stakeholders, has penned an open letter to the government calling for a ‘rethink’ of their planned affordability checks rollout.
The UK Gambling Commission, on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has been piloting a scheme that would see some punters asked to provide personal information as to how they are funding their betting.
The anecdotal evidence suggests that’s pushing some big stakes bettors to the illegal black market, while taking money out of the ledgers of bookmakers, horse racing and the Exchequer.
So the BHA has written to Lisa Nandy, head of the DCMS, to demand that they scrap an idea that has the potential to cause ‘lasting damage to British horseracing.’
Intrusive Checks
The letter, undersigned by members of the Jockey Club, Arena Racing Company, Racing and Bloodstock APPG and the likes of Paul Nicholls, Dan Skelton and Lucinda Russell, claims that while the intention behind affordability checks was ‘sensible’, so far their ‘delivery has failed’.
“Instead of making it easier and safer for people to have that flutter, regulatory changes have only made it harder,” the open letter continues.
“Little wonder then that growing numbers of people are now betting illegally, rather than be subjected to intrusive checks more appropriate for securing a mortgage than engaging in a legal pastime enjoyed by millions of Britons.”
The writers claim that the introduction of so-called frictionless financial checks has ‘dismayed millions of people’ who regularly have a bet on the horses, referencing a petition raised against the checks which received more than 100,000 signatures as long ago as 2024.
The letter then switches focus to the Gambling Commission itself, who have been responsible for the affordability check pilot scheme. That was designed to see if checks can be performed in a wholly frictionless way – that is, without the need to submit sensitive information.
However, the subsequent reports posted by the regulator suggest that the desire for a 100% lack of friction has failed, while numerous credit agencies used in the pilot were found to have produced different results for the same people.
That said, Stage Two of the study increased the frictionless rate from 95% in Stage One to 97%, so the assumption is that the regulator is getting better at performing the background checks efficiently.
The perils of the black market are also discussed, with the letter referencing the extra £26 million that the government has pledged to tackle illegal gambling.
“Adding a further layer of regulation right now would be at best a grave misjudgement and at worst, a gift to the criminal underworld that benefits from these illegal betting operations.”
In signing off, the letter’s author calls upon Nandy, the DCMS and the wider government to ‘reconsider the unintended consequences of your predecessor’s policies’ before signing off on the permanent introduction of financial checks in the UK.
British racing has today sent an open letter to the Secretary of State for @DCMS, Lisa Nandy MP, calling on her to pause the introduction of affordability checks on having a flutter.#BackBritishRacing #SaveOurBets pic.twitter.com/IcP9mgIJFA
— British Horseracing Authority (@BHAHorseracing) April 7, 2026
Taking Action
It’s possible that affordability checks could be ratified and implemented as early as next month if the Gambling Commission is convinced they can be performed in a 100% frictionless manner.
It’s a move that is forecast to cost British racing around £250 million, as well as millions more in taxable revenue with bookmakers.
And a research study by the Betting and Gaming Council claims that around 120,000 punters would have to provide more information about their financial status if the checks are rolled out.
Currently, the assessments are performed if a punter loses £1,000 or more in a day, or £2,000 or more over a rolling 90-day period.
The need for racing to axe has been exacerbated lately by the confirmation that the Horserace Betting Levy will remain at its current rate, which has capped another potential avenue of financial support for the beleaguered sport.
It has been a particularly challenging time of late for British racing, with William Hill announcing the closure of 200 betting shops and Chelmsford Racecourse being refused a licence – the proprietors of the venue have been placed into administration due to their parlous financial position.
Even the former trainer of Queen Elizabeth II’s racehorses, William Haggas, has waded in, telling The Sun:
“Anything that interferes with that [having a bet] will only damage horse racing, cost jobs and deprive the government of much-needed tax revenue.
“There is surely no harm in the government taking the time to look at this again and make sure it gets it right.”