Last week the Gambling Commission attempted to deflect the contents of two credible reports detailing the explosion of gambling on the black market in this country. An explosion fuelled by their misguided affordability checks on punters.
The commission naively responded to these reports stating that it has ‘an extremely active specialist black market team.’ But that, quite frankly, is about as reassuring as the Met Police telling us they have a successful burglary squad.
The reports, which were accepted without challenge by all interested parties, reveal the scale of illegal gambling in the UK has completely blindsided the politicians in Westminster.
It is now estimated that £4.3 million is wagered with illegal gambling operators compared with £2.8 million in 2020. And yet, if one was to believe the rhetoric from the Gambling Commission, one would think there was barely a problem.
In a spout of denial, they gleefully reported that “since April, the team has issued over 750 cease-and-desist notices … and over the same period the commission has referred over 78,000 URLs with 50,000 of these removed … this is a tenfold increase in comparison to the whole of 2023-24.”
There are two ways one can interpret these numbers. The first, which appears to be the belief of the Gambling Commission, is that they are doing a terrific job and they are on top of the problem. The other view would be that the problem has increased twenty-fold since 2023-24.
But focusing on how many illegal bookmakers have been taken down is looking at the problem from the wrong end. What is much more effective is to give punters less reasons for wanting to bet on the black market in the first place.
Affordability checks are thus a disaster. Think of them as a billion-pound marketing campaign for illegal gambling.
Increasing the tax on gambling, which looks right up this Government’s street, will also backfire. One of the reports estimated that illegal gambling will already cost the treasury £335 million in lost taxes over the period of this Government. If it raises betting tax, it will actually increase that number, rather than their tax receipts. The dreaded law of unintended consequences.
Cheltenham insults bedrock of sport as it turns back on amateurs
Speaking of which, Cheltenham hammered a very large nail into the coffin of old-fashioned steeplechasers a few years back when they changed the conditions of the National Hunt chase. The whole point of one of the oldest races in the calendar was that it gave horses that were bred to win chases and not hurdles a chance to race against each other on the biggest stage.
But as soon as Cheltenham allowed horses that had won a hurdle race in previous seasons to take part in the race, they effectively made it a race for the big yards’ second string three-mile novice chasers. A “Brown Advisory” for the slower staying novice chasers.
Cheltenham have now added insult to injury by opening that race up to professional riders, which will effectively rule out the English amateurs from getting decent rides in it. Over a longer period of time, it will also dilute the presence of the popular Irish amateurs who are more akin to assassins than jockeys.
And just to make sure the injury was hammered home, Cheltenham consulted every Tom, Dick and Harry before they made this unwelcome change, but not the Amateur Jockeys Association (AJA) who will have considerable insight into the race and the consequences of mucking about with it.
One of those consulted was Ed Chamberlain, the presenter of ITV racing. On Friday he asked Jon Pullen, a spokesman for Cheltenham, whether the AJA had been consulted. Pullen did not answer the question and predictably, Chamberlain did not press him before he bowled him a soft follow up question.
There are many talented amateur riders performing in point to points around the country. Having a chance to ride at the Festival is a big deal for them, and their inclusion in the festival added a nuance to the occasion.
These are men and women who come from grass-roots National Hunt racing stock. So it’s ironic and sad that Cheltenham is eroding not only the type of horses that steeplechasing should be all about but also the people who have traditionally been the bedrock of the sport.