BHA CEO: Affordability measures a “serious threat” to horseracing             

British Horseracing Authority CEO Julie Harrington has said affordability checks pose a “serious threat” to the future of horseracing.

Speaking to RSN Racing Pulse in Australia, Harrington gave her thoughts on the predicament facing operators, and in turn horseracing, as the industry is left second guessing itself as to how to adhere to regulation.

Harrington said that while the need for new legislation was important to bring the Gambling Act 2005 into the digital age, any potential affordability checks should not interfere with the majority of customers.

Harrington went on to argue that the delay to the release of the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review had left operators with no choice but to be overly strict.

Harrington said: “It’s a serious threat. Everybody wants the right protections for people who are potentially problem gamblers. But it shouldn’t interfere with the majority of people.

“I think what’s happening is the operators are waiting for this new legislation to be published. They’re running scared of some big fines and they’re probably being more draconian than the government are telling us they need to be.”

Harrington said the delays to the document’s release have only hampered the sector and led to the confusion that surrounds affordability measures.

She continued: “I’ve been in this role now for two years and [the white paper] was supposed to be published before I arrived.

“The longer we wait, the more those operators are putting these measures. The government are telling us they’re not really affordability checks but with no knowledge of what’s in that white paper, the operators are doing what they think is right to avoid big fines.”

Earlier this week, Betting and Gaming Council chair Brigid Simmonds call for the immediate release of the white paper to bring an end to affordability confusion in the industry.