Entain launches affordability checks it claims will 'greatly benefit' racing

The owner of Ladbrokes and Coral has claimed horseracing will benefit from new technology-led affordability checks it has introduced as the first stage of the government's gambling review comes to a close.

Entain has launched the checks across all of its 14 brands as part of an initiative designed to identify customers in the UK at the greatest risk of potential financial problems, and to implement staking limits and tighter affordability checks.

The subject of affordability checks has been hugely controversial, with the Gambling Commission also having run a consultation in which one possible outcome was the imposition of checks at as low a level as a net loss of £100 per month, after which customers would have to prove they could afford to lose more.

Despite the regulator having said it will still be some time before it has considered the 13,000 responses to its consultation, there have already been complaints that some operators have introduced intrusive and stringent checks.

The British racing industry has been very concerned about the prospect of affordability checks as low as £100, with one estimate putting the potential loss of annual income for the sport at £100 million.

Conor Grant: Gambling Review is the perfect opportunity to make positive change (Members' Club)

However, Entain's group operations director Peter Marcus, who is leading its ARC (Advanced Responsibility and Care) initiative, said: "For those we believe are at most financial risk, we set limits which only increase if those individuals share certain information about their affordability. This means the vast majority of customers who show no indications of financial risk can still bet with us freely.

"We think this is an important step in preserving personal freedoms, and will also greatly benefit the horseracing industry, which is concerned about the impact of blanket measures on its future viability."

Entain's move coincided with the end of the government's 16-week call for evidence, which kicked off its long-promised review of the 2005 Gambling Act examining affordability checks along with other areas including stake limits, advertising and the powers of the Gambling Commission.

Flutter, the parent company of Betfair, Paddy Power and Sky Bet, has presented its own three-step approach to affordability to both the Gambling Commission consultation and the government's call for evidence.

Writing in the Racing Post, Conor Grant, Flutter's chief executive for its UK and Ireland division, has also outlined further steps it is trialling for player protection, including the requirement for 18 to 21-year-olds to set deposit limits, and a £10 maximum stake for slots on its UK-facing brands.

Grant said: "For the gambling sector, the UK government’s review into the Gambling Act is the perfect opportunity to make positive, lasting change."

Read more on this subject:

Accounts closed and punters frustrated as affordability checks arrive by stealth

New report calls on government to ignore 'paternalistic' gambling proposals

Reviews and affordability the elephants in the room as operators unveil results (Members' Club)

Problem gambling rates in decline as significant affordability response revealed (Members' Club)

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