TLDR The BHA says the Gambling Commission’s account of Financial Risk Assessment talks left out two months of earlier outreach. Acting Chief Officer Sarah Gardner told a parliamentary committee that talks were offered before the July 7 announcement. The Racing Post reports the BHA tried to open dialogue two months before that, without a real exchange taking place. A BHA spokesperson says the Commission’s reply to the committee failed to acknowledge concerns about due process. Evidence backing the new affordability checks will not be published until autumn.
The British Horseracing Authority has questioned how the Gambling Commission handled talks over new Financial Risk Assessment rules. The group says its efforts to engage were not properly acknowledged.
Acting Chief Officer Sarah Gardner spoke to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee last week. She said the Commission had invited the BHA to talk about the new rules before they were announced on July 7.
Gardner said the BHA only replied after a follow up email. She confirmed a meeting has since been arranged between the two groups.
What the Racing Post Found
The Racing Post later reported a different version of events. It said the BHA had tried for two months to open a two way dialogue with the Commission before the announcement.
Those earlier attempts did not lead to any real exchange, according to the report. The publication said Gardner’s account to the committee left out this earlier effort.
This has raised questions about how much genuine engagement took place before the rules were announced. The gap between the two accounts is now under scrutiny.
BHA Responds Over Affordability Checks
A BHA spokesperson told the Racing Post that the Commission’s reply to the committee failed to acknowledge concerns about stakeholder engagement. The spokesperson said this also applied to