Punters' group 'hopeful' gambling-reform message heard by government

Horseracing Bettors Forum (HBF) chairman Colin Hord is hopeful their message about possible unintended consequences of gambling reforms for both punters and British racing has been heard after a meeting with government officials this week.

The HBF, the independent body created to represent punters' interests, met members of the gambling review team at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to discuss concerns surrounding the government's planned overhaul of gambling legislation.

Affordability checks, account restrictions and customer data were among the issues raised by the HBF, who discussed their worries about the impact of the reforms not just on bettors, but also reduced funding for horseracing.