A new poll has added to the debate around financial risk checks in Britain. The research found many bettors are not prepared to share private documents to keep betting. For the industry, that raises fresh questions over how financial risk checks would work in practice.

• A YouGov poll commissioned by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) found 65% of betting customers would be unwilling to provide documents such as bank statements or payslips. The BGC said this points to strong resistance to proposed affordability-style measures. It also argued the figure could prove higher once checks are applied in real customer journeys.
• The findings build on earlier Gambling Commission research released after a Freedom of Information request. That survey of more than 12,000 respondents showed 77% opposed financial risk checks, while only 14% of frequent bettors said they would share financial data. This group is considered among the most likely to be affected by the checks.
• The BGC said early trials have highlighted issues including inconsistent data, unclear outcomes and added friction for customers. Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the BGC, said: “Forcing punters to hand over bank statements isn’t ‘frictionless’, it’s intrusive and will drive customers to the illegal market.” She added that the results underline concerns around how financial risk checks may operate in practice.
• The trade body warned that stricter requirements could push customers towards unregulated operators. It said the regulated sector currently supports 109,000 jobs, contributes GBP 6.8bn (ca. EUR 7.1bn)  to the economy and generates GBP 4bn (ca. EUR 4.6bn) in tax. The BGC is calling for financial risk checks to remain targeted and proportionate to avoid wider market disruption.

Please find more news here.