Gambling Commission CEO addresses “imbalanced” Racing Post affordability check content

Gambling Commission (GC) CEO Andrew Rhodes has penned an open letter to Racing Post readers urging them to fight back against recent “imbalanced” editorials in the paper.

The GC said the Racing Post has continued to provide readers with imbalanced stories relating to affordability checks while “frequently” failing to seek a right of reply from the regulator in recent months.

As a result, Rhodes wrote a letter to the Racing Post, requesting it be published but, according to the GC, the paper refused to do so despite its “content being highly relevant to readers”.

Rhodes implored readers to take the opportunity to respond to the GC’s ongoing consultation into affordability checks before the closing deadline of 18 October.

The CEO also moved to reassure punters that operators would not be mandated to implement checks until they could be “delivered frictionlessly for the vast majority of customers who would be checked”.

Rhodes also confirmed the regulator would look at implementing a trial period for the checks following the consultation.

He said: “We understand that there may be some concerns about the government and the Gambling Commission’s proposals from consumers who are concerned about potential privacy issues.

“Firstly, readers could easily assume – based on the volume and nature of the coverage – that under the proposals a good proportion of gambling consumers would have to be handing over payslips or bank statements when they want to place a bet. This is not true,” he emphasised.

Rhodes proceeded to explain that just 0.3% of customers would ever be asked to directly provide additional financial information.

Rhodes also noted the checks would apply to online gambling only in an effort to ease concerns over restricted retail spending, while also moving to denounce suggestions checks would impact individuals’ credit scores.

He said: “There remains another four weeks of the consultation and we welcome all responses to ensure we strike the right balance between protecting the freedom of the individual to gamble and protecting those most vulnerable from gambling related harm.”

Responding to EGR‘s request for comment, Racing Post editor Tom Kerr said: “We told the Gambling Commission we welcomed a letter about its proposals, just as we routinely approach it for comment on relevant stories. However, we also told the GC we were unwilling to publish a letter if it misrepresented disagreements over our coverage as errors of fact.

“That is precisely what its letter does. It simply repeats contentious assertions from the white paper and consultation without engaging with the numerous concerns raised by Racing Post readers and contributors. In fact, it dismisses those concerns as groundless.

“If Andrew Rhodes wishes to communicate directly with Racing Post readers, I would be delighted to sit down with him for an in-depth interview.”