A new YouGov poll, commissioned by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), has revealed the majority of voters believe politicians should not set arbitrary limits on the amount they can bet.
The survey of 1,683 British adults was carried out as the Gambling Commission continues its affordability consultation amid calls for a £100 limit on the amount that punters can lose in a month.
The issue is also expected to be considered as part of the Government’s ongoing Gambling Review.
According to the poll, 51% are opposed to limits set by politicians, compared to just 27% who support them. Critics have also commented that setting affordability limits could decrease the amount of money horseracing receives from the betting levy by over £60m.
The YouGov poll also found that 59% of UK adults agree that ‘if there are too many limits placed on people to bet’, they will shift to the unlicensed and illegal black market, compared to 10% who disagree.
A report by PwC last month showed that the number of British punters using black market sites to place bets had increased over the past two years from 210,000 to 460,000, while the amount staked with unlicensed operators had doubled from £1.4bn to £2.8bn.
Black market sites have none of the safeguards required in the regulated sector, such as ID and age verification checks, the ability to set deposit limits and safer gambling tools.
The BGC also commissioned a series of focus groups, which were mainly held in so-called ‘Red Wall’ seats across the Midlands and the north of England, to find out their views on betting and wider cultural issues.
In total, 20 groups took place in Long Eaton, Mansfield, Dudley, Walsall, Warrington, Doncaster, Oldham, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Stoke, London, Richmond-on-Thames, Birmingham, Durham, Wakefield, Blackpool and St Helens between November and February.
Many of these areas were part of the 50 seats which switched from Labour to the Conservatives in the 2019 General Election.
The BGC states that these groups showed ‘that betting is already a normal social and leisure pastime for millions of Brits,’ while also noting that voters in those seats are ‘wary of post-Covid mission creep, with the state wanting to impose more control on how they live their lives.’
Michael Dugher, CEO of BGC, said: “My view is that limits are good, which is why people betting are now strongly encouraged to set their own limits on how much they spend. Affordability checks are also a good thing. But technology enables betting companies to see where customers are starting to display what we call ‘markers of harm’.
“In this way, potential problem gamblers and others who may be more at risk could be subject to enhanced affordability checks. Such a move would potentially also have serious ramifications for horse racing in particular, which relies heavily on the money it receives from the betting levy.
“I hope politicians will also take heed of the findings and listen to voters in Northern and Midlands marginal seats – who will be key to the result of the next election – who are wary of being told by Westminster how to live their lives, especially in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
“The BGC fully supports the Gambling Review and we want to see big changes, but it’s important that ministers get those changes right.”