Major increase in traffic
The UK’s regulatory authority for horse racing has issued a warning over the threat the industry is facing via a major spike in use of unlicensed betting sites.
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) expressed its concerns last week, citing a new study by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).
visits to over 20 of the most popular unlicensed sites in the UK grew by 522%
The study covered a four-year period between 2021 and 2024. According to the IFHA, the total number of unique visits to over 20 of the most popular unlicensed sites in the UK grew by 522% during that time.
The study also revealed that between January and September of last year, over 600,000 unique visits to such sites occurred per month.
BHA Acting CEO Brant Dunshea said British racing had “repeatedly warned” the UK government of the threat “inadvertently growing illegal market activity” had on the industry.
Dunshea added that the IFHA study “certainly demonstrates that very concerning threat becoming reality.”
Banging the drum
In a BHC release, Dunshea stated that his organization would share IFHA’s findings with the government in the hope that it “will work with us to encourage bettors to stay in the legal market given this growing leakage.”
The BHA has long rallied against the introduction of affordability checks. In a 2023 statement, the BHA cited a Racing Post editor as stating the checks were “driving bettors towards the black market and away from regulated operators.”
important for gambling regulations to be both balanced and proportionate”
In his recent statement, Dunshea reiterated the BHS’ call to listen to bettors. “The study serves as a further reminder of why it’s important for gambling regulations to be both balanced and proportionate, with those who are betting safely on racing allowed to do so without interruption.”
In contrast to the growth in popularity of unlicensed sites, the IFHA study found just a 49% increase in visits to ten of the most popular regulated UK betting sites between January and September.
Limited but noteworthy
Even though the BHA described the IFHA study as “limited,” it noted the pace of popularity for the unregulated sites in recent years.
Last week, the BHA also flagged noted that “British racing has lost £1.6bn ($2m) worth of remote betting turnover in just two years.”
The regulatory body concluded that the current trend jibes with developments internationally “where moves to tighten regulation in the legal market has driven customers away.”