Gamban Founder Calls for Horse Racing to Be Exempted

Matt Zarb Cousin, co-founder and director of external affairs at Gamban advocated for horse racing to be excluded from the UK’s new affordability checks. These measures launched by the Gambling Commission in August 2024, introduce stricter financial risk assessments for players when their monthly deposits exceed 500. Zarb Cousin argues that horse racing should be separated from other high-risk betting sectors.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, co-founder and director of external affairs at Gamban, has called for the exclusion of horse racing from the UK’s new affordability checks such as online slots. The UK Gambling Commission introduced these checks in a pilot program in August 2024 which will be expanded in February 2025 with a lowered deposit threshold of 150 for more extensive financial risk assessments.

Zarb-Cousin’s comments come amid growing criticism from the horse racing industry which feels that it is being unfairly targeted. The affordability checks trigger more detailed scrutiny when a player’s monthly deposit reaches 500 or more. These checks involve the UK’s largest operators and credit reference agencies and were initially aimed at preventing problem gambling and reducing financial risk among bettors.

The Gamban founder believes that horse racing should be treated differently due to its distinct characteristics compared to other betting sectors. “I think horse racing needs to get as far away as possible from online casinos,” Zarb-Cousin said on the Barstewards Enquiry podcast this week. “The fact that racing hasn’t been able to separate itself from online casinos is why it has been caught up in these regulations.”

Zarb-Cousin argues that horse racing should be licensed and approached differently in terms of risk management, proposing a separate license or platform for horse racing betting. “If racing was to delineate from the current online casino and slots operations, if it was a separate license or a separate platform, we wouldn’t be having a situation where racing could be subject to affordability checks,” he added. “It would be a completely different risk profile in terms of the products.”

The Gambling Commission’s financial risk checks are set to adapt in February 2025 when the deposit threshold will be lowered from 500 to 150, affecting a wider range of betting activities. The commission has defended the implementation of these checks as necessary for safeguarding consumers and reducing the risks associated with high-stakes gambling.

For now, Zarb-Cousin and other industry advocates are pushing for horse racing to be exempt from these rules, emphasizing the need for a distinct regulatory approach. “It’s time for the sector and regulator to approach horse racing betting differently from online casinos,” he concluded.