At a meeting in London on Tuesday of this week between Minister for Sport Richard Caborn and BHB Chairman Peter Savill it was agreed that, when the Gambling Bill Joint Scrutiny Committee comes to consider betting exchanges, it might usefully focus on their potential impact on the integrity of sports.

Richard Caborn said today:
“Preservation of the integrity of any sport is paramount and I share Peter Savill’s view that there are potential threats and that they need to be properly looked at. The Joint Scrutiny Committee is one vehicle for this and I shall be encouraging the Committee in this direction. While I see no reason to set up a separate Committee of Inquiry at this stage, we shall of course carefully consider the views of the Scrutiny Committee and, if any additional analysis is then needed, we shall not hesitate to consider the matter further.”

Peter Savill added:
“I reiterated to the Minister Racing’s concerns about the potential threats which Betting Exchanges pose to the integrity of the sport and the vital need for effective regulation and policing. In so doing I emphasised Racing’s desire to be satisfied that these concerns are thoroughly and independently analysed so that appropriate measures can be introduced into the Gambling Bill and by Racing itself to combat any problems which are shown to exist. That this review is done effectively is more important than the precise method by which it is done.

“I therefore welcome the Minister’s commitment to urging that the issues are examined in detail by the Joint Scrutiny Committee, to which we shall be submitting detailed evidence at the appropriate time.”

For further information please contact BHB Communications Manager Alan Delmonte on 07931 701536.