Summary:
- The Racing Post has targeted the UKGC over financial risk checks for gamblers
- Claims that the Racing Post has launched daily attacks and indulged unwarranted criticism
- Open letter to Racing Post readers to set the record straight
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) isn’t too happy with the coverage it has been getting from the Racing Post. The Racing Post has an average daily circulation of just over 60,000 copies via digital and print mediums.
The Racing Post is a sports betting, greyhound and daily horse racing publisher that has criticised the UK gambling regulator for proposed financial checks which will be carried out as part of the UKGC’s ongoing consultation.
UKGC Responds To Racing Post Attack
The UKGC appears to have had enough from the Racing Post and released an open letter to Racing Post readers. The letter came from UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes who said that the Racing Post has indulged in daily attacks and unwarranted criticism against the UKGC.
Rhodes said the reason for the open letter was to clear up the potential misunderstandings that could arise from the coverage and narrative that the Racing Post put across to its readers. The gambling regulator was keen on getting readers of the Racing Post to take part in the regulator’s gambling consultation on regulatory matters.
The UKGC also highlighted the fact that the Racing Post refused to publish the open letter and clarify the stance of the UKGC which proved that the Racing Post was resorting to a wilful lack of balance in its coverage and portray of what the UKGC was trying to do.
UKGC Releases Open Letter For Clarification
Rhodes clarified in the open letter to Racing Post readers that the proposed financial check consultations would not be imposed on all British punters but instead would only be imposed on a select group of punters. The UKGC states that around 3 percent of all gamblers would be required to furnish salary slips or bank statements before they would be allowed to place a bet.
The open letter went on to say
These checks will not give gambling companies access to customers’ full bank account data, and any information operators receive must only ever be used for assessing risks of harm, rather than practices like identifying and restricting winners.
