British newspaper i has revealed that members of parliament (MPs) who have lobbied against the implementation of online risk checks have been granted nearly £280,000 from the gambling industry and the horseracing sector. The figures cover donations, earnings, and other forms of payment or benefits received in the past five years.
The controversial regulatory proposal, if implemented as currently outlined in the Gambling White Paper, will result in gamblers who suffer net losses of £125 or more within a month being subject to risk checks. The same will apply to individuals with a yearly gambling loss of at least £500. According to the Government’s estimates, a mere 3% of gambling accounts will be affected by these checks.
Risk Checks Have Been an Ongoing Topic of Debate in the UK
The goal of this piece of regulation, according to gambling reform lobbyists and the Government, is to minimise gambling harm. However, according to gambling giants and the horse racing industry alike, this measure will have a negative impact on British horseracing and infringe on punters’ right to place bets. The proposal even prompted the Jockey Club’s CEO, Nevin Truesdale, to launch a petition for its abandonment, but the resulting debate ended with the Government responding that plans to implement the checks have not been abandoned. Efforts will be made for the system to be frictionless, the Government has assured.
MPs who have supported the Jockey Club and the gambling industry have also raised caution on how the checks could backfire and force vulnerable gambling addicts to seek out illegal betting websites.
Gambling reform lobbyists have expressed concerns that the MPs’ judgement could be clouded by the “freebies” they have received from the horseracing and the betting industries. Chair of Gambling With Lives, Charles Ritchie, who lost his son to suicide because of gambling, said the following while speaking with the i:
“Behind every regulation that a paid-for MP has helped water down are gambling suicides, and families devastated.”
He and families affected by gambling harm have therefore called for MPs to resist the money offered by those lobbying in favour of the gambling industry’s interests. “The public is desperate for purer politics,” he stressed.
The BGC Stands as the Largest Contributor
As revealed by The i’s data, Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain’s contributions to certain MPs amount to £74,000. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) industry body has also made hefty contributions, this time valued at a significantly larger sum of £128,600.
Flutter Entertainment and William Hill have been found to have contributed £7,400 and £1,600, respectively. Other entities include, but are not limited to, the Jockey Club (£15,629), Power Leisure Bookmakers (£3,922), and the Racecourse Association (£8,420).
MP Laurence Robertson has benefited from over £109,000 when it comes to funds sourced from the gambling and horse racing sectors. This puts him at the top of the i’s list of MPs in terms of contributions. Mr Robertson has written opinion pieces on the blanket risk checks, and in 2022, he dubbed them “invasive.” He further claimed that other proposed measures, including “draconian” gambling ad bans, were not evidence-based.
Another MP to express disapproval of the checks is Matt Hancock, who used to serve as the UK’s Health Secretary. In 2019, he enjoyed £20,000 in donations granted by the Tattersalls racehorse auctioneer, and this February, he deemed the affordability check measure a “mistake.”
Over a Dozen MPs Are Included in the i’s List
Apart from the MPs mentioned above, Sir Philip Davies, currently serving as the Member of Parliament for Shipley, enjoyed a £49,980 paycheck from gambling giant Entain in 2020 after he provided services surrounding the provision of advice regarding responsible gambling. He was granted another £1,000 this April, this time by Merkur Gaming UK, after he began working as a strategic advisor for the company. When added up, the aforementioned contributions, along with other earnings and tickets, total a staggering £73,178. As described by the i, Sir Philip Davies is among the MPs who believe the checks could exacerbate gambling addiction as opposed to preventing it.
The BGC and Power Leisure Bookmakers have treated MP John Spellar to tickets to the Lord’s Cricket Fixtures amounting to £3,678, while the Arena Racing Company gave Shadow Minister for Sport, Gambling and Media Stephanie Peacock a Doncaster Races ticket. The former has said the checks would “fuel” the prosperity of illegal gambling in the UK, while the latter cautioned that the horseracing industry could suffer financially and jobs could be lost because of the checks.
Other MPs who have benefited financially from the gambling industry or British horseracing and have not supported the checks include Chris Grayling, Caroline Nokes, Mark Jenkinson, Aaron Bell, Craig Whittaker, Conor McGinn, and former Gambling Minister Sir John Whittingdale.
- Author
Daniel Williams
