SportHorse racingBritish Horseracing AuthorityThe Gambling Commission has approved the introduction of Financial Risk Assessments which the BHA claims could cost racing £250 million in lost revenue over five years12:59, 07 Jul 2026Controversial affordability checks on punters have been given the green light by the Gambling Commission.‌The Gambling Commission has finally approved the introduction of Financial Risk Assessments which are designed to identify and support high-spending punters in financial difficulties.‌According to the Commission these customers are two to four times more likely to have a debt management plan and two to five times more likely to have a default in the previous 12 months than other general consumers.‌“Without being identified, they may continue to receive marketing and promotional offers encouraging further gambling despite being financially vulnerable,” the Commission said..After implementation Financial Risk Assessments will be applied to customers aged 25 or older with net deposits exceeding £1,000 in a rolling 24-hour period or £3,000 over a rolling 90-day period; for those under 25 these thresholds will be reduced to £750 in a rolling 24 hours or £2,000 in a rolling 90 days.‌The Commission added: "The vast majority of customers will never require a Financial Risk Assessment, which means people who place an occasional bet, are a recent winning customer or even regularly spends hundreds of pounds would be unlikely to need a check. Those who do will have a frictionless, document-free assessment provided by Credit Reference Agencies, with no impact on their credit score."Sarah Gardner, Acting Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission, said: "We are confident that our approach, using high-quality data, will enable support for high-spending customers in financial difficulties, while reducing friction for customers who are not in financial difficulties by removing the need for unnecessary and unpopular document checks to understand financial risk.Article continues below“We have listened to feedback throughout the pilot process which has led to us deciding to carefully proceed. We will work with key partners to make sure that they are implemented in the most effective way for consumers and operators."The introduction of checks has faced a mountain of opposition from the racing and betting industry who claim the sport could take a massive financial hit. Racing, which relies on betting for its its funding, believes the introduction of checks could wipe as much as £250 million from revenues over five years, with punters being driven to the unregulated black market.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌British Horseracing AuthorityGambling