'Terrifying and ridiculous' - jumps icon Nicky Henderson condemns affordability checks

Affordability checks that threaten to cost British racing millions of pounds have been described as lunacy by jumps legend Nicky Henderson, who has become the latest high-profile figure to condemn the intrusive action.

Henderson's Flat counterpart John Gosden spoke recently about his fears the checks would force people to bet on the black market, which he said "would spell disaster" for racing and betting.

That was followed this week by Harry Herbert, the well-connected racing manager of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, saying the industry could be "ripped to pieces" by the checks, which involve punters being asked for bank statements as well as other financial information by bookmakers, who are acting under pressure from the Gambling Commission.

The industry regulator has been widely criticised for effectively implementing the controversial checks before the government’s long-awaited gambling review has been published. 

Now Henderson, a six-time champion trainer who has lived and breathed the sport much of his life, has waded into the discussion, slamming the checks and feeling for those affected.

He told the Racing Post: "It's ridiculous and appears to be an invasion of privacy. There's no doubt it's having a drastic impact on punters and I have every sympathy with them. I'm in total agreement with what everyone has been saying.

"The money people bet on racing flows back into the sport, so we're all losers in this. It doesn't bear thinking about the dangers of the black market, but that's where punters could be driven back to.

"I've no experience of this because I don't bet and nobody has ever asked me for statements, but that's not the point and I wouldn't like it if I was asked for all sorts of information and had to go through that examination before having a bet."

Henderson, whose late father Johnny is credited with helping save Cheltenham from redevelopers in the 1960s, has been responsible for some of jump racing's biggest names, including mighty chaser Sprinter Sacre and latest pin-up boy Constitution Hill.

He supports responsible gambling campaigns, but believes the new ways of assessing someone's ability to bet is a step too far.

"The damage it could do is really frightening," he added. "We've got enough problems on our hands in the industry and don't need this. It's lunacy, sheer lunacy. I read what John Gosden and Harry Herbert have said in the Racing Post and go along with it – like everyone would. It's absolutely crackers and it's terrifying to think of the damage to racing's finances.

"You can't blame punters – I wouldn't want to go through that and I don't see why they should. There is a point in preventing people from getting into trouble and that's very important. But, at the same time, these checks and what they'll lead to are terrifying."

It is believed the government's long-delayed gambling review white paper will feature proposals around affordability checks when it is published in the coming weeks.

Last week gambling minister Paul Scully said he did not believe it was the government or the Gambling Commission's place to tell people how much they could afford to gamble, and indicated that he favoured "frictionless" checks to help prevent people suffering from harm from gambling.

Paul Scully: gambling minister met with the HBF this week

Scully this week met with representatives of the Horseracing Bettors Forum (HBF), when affordability checks and their impact on punters and the sport of horseracing were discussed, along with other issues such as restrictions and a minimum bet guarantee.

Benjamin Fellows, on behalf of the HBF, said: "We felt it was a constructive meeting and the tone echoed that of his speech at the Betting and Gaming Council AGM last week.

"We welcomed the opportunity to engage with the minister and to seek that horseracing bettors’ interests are appropriately considered in the forthcoming white paper. We hope that the dialogue will continue following the white paper’s publication."

Read these next:

Ed Chamberlin: racing cannot afford to lose punters caught up in affordability checks 

Highclere boss: British racing could be 'ripped to pieces' by intrusive affordability checks

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