Affordability checks row escalates as BHA claims Gambling Commission ignored data requests
2026-07-20
Source: SBC News
The UK Gambling Commission faces mounting criticism over financial risk assessments, with the BHA alleging its data requests were ignored and racing estimating £60m annual losses, as political and legal pressures intensify.
A standoff is intensifying in the UK over financial risk assessments (FRAs), pitting the Gambling Commission against the horseracing sector, betting operators, campaign groups and lawmakers. The issue, often labelled ‘affordability checks’ by critics, has been a flashpoint since the 2023 Gambling Act review White Paper.
The Commission’s decision to push ahead with FRAs—the more intrusive of two affordability measures, alongside lighter financial vulnerability checks (FVCs)—has drawn sharp rebukes. According to the Racing Post, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) attempted to obtain details on the Commission’s reasoning in the months before the July ruling but was rebuffed.
BHA’s request for pilot data denied
In a weekend op-ed, Racing Post journalist Lee Mottershead accused the regulator of ignoring BHA requests for information about its FRA pilot conducted last year. A freedom of information request revealed emails between BHA Acting Chair David Jones and Gambling Commission Acting Chief Executive Sarah Gardner. Jones asked for pilot data and warned the regulator was driven by “ideological will”. Gardner disputed that characterisation but did not share the requested information. The Commission may have withheld data due to GDPR and data protection rules, given the pilot involved live betting-company accounts.
Commission’s pilot findings
The Gambling Commission has maintained that its pilot showed 97% of punters betting above the threshold could be “easily and frictionlessly assessed for financial difficulties”. This would leave under 3% of all UK online betting accounts subject to an FRA, with just one in 1,000 accounts requiring deeper checks via open banking or document requests.
Industry backlash and legal threats
Betting and racing stakeholders have opposed affordability checks since the Gambling Act review began in 2020. The racing sector estimates it could lose up to £60m a year as checks reduce operator revenues, affecting the levy, sponsorships and media rights. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has said it is considering “all options”, including legal action, while senior government advisers have stepped down over the issue.
Political pressure mounts
Just days after the Commission’s FRA decision, the House of Commons CMS Select Committee—responsible for scrutinising the Department for Culture, Media and Sport—wrote to the regulator questioning the move. The pressure comes amid a leadership transition at the Gambling Commission and a change in Downing Street, with Andy Burnham, a figure associated with gambling-reform advocacy, becoming the UK’s fifth Prime Minister in five years.