14 March 2024 , 15:34
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A government minister denied he is putting horse racing under threat at Cheltenham on Thursday when he was challenged over plans to introduce gambling reforms.
Stuart Andrew MP holds the gambling brief, as Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society, in a Conservative government which has proposed the introduction of affordability checks for punters.
British racing has warned the impact of the checks could be so severe that they could cost the sport £50million a year if introduced. More than 100,000 people signed a Jockey Club sponsored petition against the changes.
Andrew was quizzed about the government’s plans in an interview on RacingTV with broadcaster Nick Luck.
He told Luck the aim of the checks was to protect sufferers of gambling harm, which though low, he said could have “catastrophic” consequences on victims.
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Luck said there was a lot of sympathy for all addicts but added: "What they don’t see is the government regulating as indiscriminately as you are on gambling. Gambling has become a dirty word.”
Andrew said he had consistently argued that gambling is safe “for the vast majority”. “I don’t want to stop that,” he said. “But I want to get to the point where we don’t have these terrible inconsistent approaches that are going on at the moment.”
Luck said: “And you accept that horse racing is an industry that is contributing hundreds of millions to the exchequer every year, that employs tens of thousands of people, that has an incredibly important workforce for the social fabric of this country, in the regions and nations, as well as the metropolitan areas, which have been the bedrock of many Conservative constituencies.
“I put it to you that when you accept the microscopic fraction of people are affected by gambling related harm, are you comfortable threatening this industry on the basis of some of the legislation that is proposed.”
“We are not trying to threaten the industry," Andrew retorted. "I’ve spent time going round racehorse farms - I’ve been going everywhere - listening to people.
"We want to make sure that it’s a much more simplified process - that it is one people don’t even notice is happening, goes on in the background.
"That you are not asked for your wage slip, you are not asked for your post code, you are not asked for your passport - that you can come and do a bet safely. That’s what we’re trying to achieve."