Ep459 Industry Special - Peace In Our Time with Matt Zarb-Cousin

The cavalry has come over the hill and it’s being led by Matt Zarb Cousin of all people! Gambling reformer says Take Affordability Checks Off British Racing: High profile gambling reform campaigner stands up for British Horseracing The man who led the campaign against FOBTs says: “It’s time for racing to get the target off its back and cut the cord with online casino. Matt Zarb Cousin says that a separate wallet and platform for horseracing would exempt the sport from affordability checks — and would have the support of campaigners. The impact of the affordability checks, which the gambling industry has imposed on horseracing fans, is clearly shown in the latest official figures from the UK Gambling Commission. Turnover is down by £3.2B — a fall of 28% since the intrusive and offensive requests for personal financial details from punters were introduced. Meanwhile during the same period turnover for online casino has rocketed in the opposite direction. Not all gambling products cause the same levels of harm and horseracing punters are being subjected to the protections needed for much more addictive non-skilled products like online slots. Despite years of virtual signalling by the “supposed friends of the sport” no-one has properly made the case for an exemption from affordability checks for horseracing. The British Horseracing Authority has never advocated on behalf of the racehorse owners and punters, who ultimately pay their wages, by proposing to extricate racing from online casino. Instead, those supposedly lobbying for racing’s interests have argued against affordability checks, despite them being needed to curtail rampant online slots and casino growth which is coming at the expense of racing revenue. Under the proposal advanced by Matt Zarb-Cousin, horseracing customers of betting companies would be exempt from affordability checks as betting would be offered on a different platform to online casino with a separate wallet, subject to a system of regulation that acknowledges a 300 year old national heritage sport should not be subjected to the financial risk checks needed for the casino product. Funds would be completely ring-fenced from other gambling products and money would remain in the racing eco system, as cross-promotion to products like online casino would be constrained.

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