Affordability Checks in the UK May Cause Friction, Says Expert

Much has been said over the last few months about the proposed affordability checks in the UK. The changes, part of the overhaul of the gambling sector in the country, seek to protect bettors from excessive gambling. But while the affordability checks were presented earlier this month as a “frictionless light touch” by the Gambling Commission’s executive director, Tim Miller, the debate surrounding the measure intensifies.

More industry stakeholders are raising their concerns about the potential negative impact on the gambling and racing vertical. Similarly, opponents of the proposed affordability checks fear the impact on the end users, who may be pushed into the illegal gambling sector. Amid the ongoing debate, an expert shared his opinion on the topic, speaking about the difficulty of implementing affordability checks.

Felix Faulkner, solicitor at Poppleston Allen, the UK’s leading licensing solicitors that specialize in entertainment, alcohol, as well as betting and gaming, joined the ongoing discussion, revealing that the process of implementing affordability checks is complex. According to the expert, one of the major difficulties in the implementation of those checks applies to the racing industry, especially when it comes to the accepting of on-course wagers. “How can the government expect people at an on-course stand with 30 seconds until the race starts to do affordability checks? How can they be expected to remember who’s put a bet on which horse,” questioned Faulkner.

He explained that conducting an effective affordability check within a short timeframe would be “physically impossible.” Additionally, Faulkner predicted that those checks may negatively impact the experiences of bettors at horse racecourses.

Implementation of Affordability Checks May Have Detrimental Impact

Poppleston Allen’s solicitor said that it would be interesting to see how the government would implement the proposal of the Gambling Commission for affordability check and more importantly, how it will overcome the potential challenges and difficulties that may arise from the process.

“The impact this has would be significant – and significantly detrimental – to both punters and the racing industry, and create a huge amount of friction for everyone.“

Felix Faulkner, solicitor at Poppleston Allen

Faulkner confirmed that affordability checks may have a significant impact on the racing industry, highlighting the potential detrimental effect for the sector and the consumers as well. According to him, an approach that may create friction is contradictory to the tabled proposal of the Gambling Commission. Finally, Faulkner revealed that it is difficult to foresee how the current proposal for affordability checks can benefit bettors and the industry.