A child-free exclusion zone around racecourse bookmakers is one of the ideas being considered in the wake of news, revealed by the Guardian on Monday, that seven bookmakers are facing hefty fines for taking a bet from a 16-year-old at Royal Ascot last summer. The idea was floated by Robin Grossmith of the Federation of Racecourse Bookmakers as he gave evidence to a House of Lords select committee on gambling on Tuesday.
“One of our guys has put forward an idea, which could possibly work, that you have an exclusion zone in front of the bookmakers, perhaps a metre or something like that, that nobody under the age of 18 can cross that line,” Grossmith said. “That could be a help but this is something we need to speak to the racecourses about, because it is their land.”
The hearing, at which evidence was also heard from Nick Rust, chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, had been planned for some time and was intended to cover the broad topic of racing’s relationship with gambling. However, the witnesses were inevitably questioned about the news that bookmakers had been caught by a ‘test purchaser’ two years below the minimum legal age for betting of 18.
Grossmith continued: “We can improve the situation by having better and clearer signage, working with the racecourses themselves to have announcements over the speakers about underage betting. On the big screens that all racecourses have, they can make a better effort to put up notices to that effect.
“All bookmakers carry leaflets in their bags for problem gamblers, issued through us. So if somebody wants to self-exclude, they talk to us and we can give them the literature, with details of who they can contact for help. We do everything we can but we are a very small community and operate on very limited funds.”
Rust was asked if racecourses should give a different entry badge to underage spectators, so they could be more readily identified by bookmakers, and welcomed that as “a good idea”. He went on: “As the governing body for the sport, though we don’t directly regulate this aspect, we’re very disappointed by this. We can’t comment on the specific case.
“When these [enforcement] visits first started happening in betting shops ... betting shops didn’t do well, early on. And they soon learned. I think this is something where Robin and his team need to work even harder.
“Racecourses and racing can do more. Historically, this is low risk, because of the environment, but a young individual has come along and been able to do this. We need to get hold of it and make sure that it’s dealt with, across our courses.”
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Ascot said the racecourse would approach the seven bookmakers, when they are eventually identified after completion of an appeal process, to stress that they must do more to avoid accepting bets from those under 18.
Weather-watch
Somehow the weather is contriving to be a problem for horse racing around Britain and Ireland, in differing ways at each trouble-spot. The most immediate casualties have beenTuesday’s card at Lingfield, abandoned when the course was found to be waterlogged, and now Hereford on Wednesday, due to standing water on the track.
The place where they could really have done with rain in recent weeks is Leopardstown, where the Dublin Racing Festival will take place this weekend, with a whole load of top-class races, including the Irish Champion Hurdle and the Irish Gold Cup. Incredibly, they’ve been watering the course over the past week, desperate to avoid a repeat of what happened last year, when unseasonably quick going led to 22 non-runners and a field of four for the Gold Cup.
Leicester 1.45 Imperial Alcazar 2.15 Pistol Whipped (nb) 2.45 Ballyellis 3.15 Miah
Grace 3.45 Prairie Town 4.15 Sabbathical
Kempton 4.45 En Famille 5.15 Rusper's Lad 5.45 Merchant Of Venice 6.15 Fen Breeze (nap) 6.45 Ginger Fox 7.15 Split Down South 7.45 Distant Applause 8.15 Que Quieres
Hereford Abandoned due to waterlogging
