Bill Barber

1 week ago | bloodhorse.com | Bill Barber

Charles Allen will not take up his role as chair of the British Horseracing Authority from the start of next month, British racing's governing body confirmed May 30. A statement from the BHA said he wanted to speak to stakeholders "to better inform his vision for the sport," but was looking forward to starting once those talks were finished.

1 week ago | racingpost.com | Bill Barber

Last Thursday marked the first anniversary since the then prime minister Rishi Sunak stood in the rain outside 10 Downing Street to announce there was going to be a general election. It also marks 12 months of stalemate when it comes to talk of a levy deal between racing and bookmakers, with little sign of any progress. Indeed, the government's decision to consult on plans to harmonise online gambling rates promises to kill stone dead any hope of a deal being struck.

2 weeks ago | racingpost.com | Bill Barber

Calls by MPs for betting on racing to be treated differently to online casino gambling will be relayed to the Treasury, sports minister Stephanie Peacock told parliament on Thursday. She was responding to a question from Conservative MP Nick Timothy, whose West Suffolk constituency includes Newmarket, asking ministers whether there would be an impact assessment for the proposed Remote Betting and Gaming Duty on the British horseracing industry.

2 weeks ago | racingpost.com | Bill Barber

The pilot of frictionless affordability checks continues to throw up inconsistent results from credit reference agencies (CRAs), the Gambling Commission admitted on Wednesday. In an update following the second stage of the pilot, the commission said it had moved on to an analysis phase that will run into the summer before a final decision is made on whether – and how – the checks could be introduced.

2 weeks ago | racingpost.com | Bill Barber

When the government recently launched a consultation about proposals to harmonise online gambling rates, ministers made a number of claims about the potential benefits. Aside from greater certainty and fairness, the simplicity that harmonisation would provide was the main theme.