\u201cIt\u2019s been a nightmare for a long time and it\u2019s not good betting now. I don\u2019t mind if they restrict me to a few pence, it happens when you\u2019re winning, but what\u2019s going on now is getting silly. I just don\u2019t understand it.”<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople in this shop were there looking at me thinking I\u2019m dodgy, that I must be up to something, but all I have done is not provide them with personal financial information.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Simon was paid out eventually, but only after contacting the Independent Betting Adjudication Service and writing in to the Racing Post.<\/p>\n
These in-store affordability checks are getting bookie staff’s backs up as well – it must be a bit awkward refusing to let someone place a bet until they have shown you their bank details after all.<\/p>\n
It could even cause confrontation if the customer in question takes the request the wrong way.<\/p>\n
Of course, the bookmaker is only instructing their staff to do what they think is required of them by the licensing authority, but it is they that get the flack when customers feel their privacy is being infringed on.<\/p>\n
One shop worker who chose to remain anonymous (understandably), has painted an illuminating picture:<\/p>\n
\u201cCustomers think we\u2019re picking on them when we approach them, but we\u2019re under pressure to intervene. We get alerts when there has been spending at certain levels, particularly on the FOBTs, if it seems that someone is overspending. When we go and ask they can get angry but it\u2019s what we are meant to do.”<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I\u2019ve asked people I\u2019ve been told to go and f*** myself, that it\u2019s none of my damn business and had people say to me that they\u2019d be waiting for me outside after the shop closed.”<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand why my employer is asking me to do this. They\u2019re caught in the middle and I\u2019m not angry at them as a result, and they have to because they can face hefty fines. I know other employees in betting shops and there\u2019s a lot of disgruntlement at having to do this and the consensus is that they do not like being put in the position to do it.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
They even went on to say that as a punter, they would probably have a similar reaction.<\/p>\n
My View<\/h2>\n I think what the employee said about the customer feeling picked on speaks volumes.<\/p>\n
No one likes feeling singled out, or having unwanted attention drawn to them, so to be happily betting and minding your own business only to be approached by staff and handed a brown envelope in front of other customers must be an unpleasant feeling.<\/p>\n
However, if this is only happening when irregular behaviour is spotted, or when red flag signals are triggered, then it simply has to continue.<\/p>\n
What’s the alternative; do nothing and watch some poor bugger throw his weeks wages away when he usually only spends a tenner?<\/p>\n
Perhaps there could and should be a better way of handling it, but if we are going to protect people from gambling harm then their gambling activity needs monitoring. I don’t see how else we can do it – other than setting arbitrary monthly spending limits or something like that, which is surely worse.<\/p>\n
Perhaps, like with bingo clubs, customers should have to sign up or become a ‘member’ when they want to use a bookmaker’s shop, and all this stuff could be handled at the start.<\/p>\n
It’s faffy and annoying and for some people will be a non-negotiable, those people may even unfortunately be pushed towards the black market, but the ‘line’ needs to be drawn somewhere, and then the industry and us punters need to be given time to implement it and get used to it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We have all been getting used to the source of funds checks and increased identification procedures implemented by betting websites in recent history. Some of us don’t really mind, some of us are all for it, and others see it as a complete invasion of privacy, but if we want to bet with the site…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4111,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[195],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Punters BANNED From Betting Shops: Source of Funds Requested<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n