Politics Home Article | St Leger at 250: don’t bet against British racing

This year, Doncaster Racecourse will host the 250^th running of the St Leger, a milestone woven into the history and identity of our city.

As the MP for Doncaster Central, I am proud to have the racecourse in my constituency. It is far more than a sporting venue. It is part of our local economy, our culture and our story. The St Leger brings people together. It fills our hotels, pubs and restaurants, supports local jobs and puts Doncaster firmly on the national stage.

Last year’s festival welcomed more than 52,000 people across four days, including over 26,000 on the Saturday alone. This year’s 250^th anniversary should be a moment of real pride, not just for Doncaster but for British racing as a whole.

But it should also be a moment to reflect on how we support a sport that matters to so many communities.

Horseracing and betting have always gone hand in hand. This is not a niche pastime. Racing supports livelihoods across towns, cities and rural areas, from stable staff and trainers to hospitality workers, broadcasters and local businesses. The betting industry contributes around £350m a year to racing through the levy, media rights and sponsorship.

For many people, having a small bet is simply part of the experience. It sits alongside studying the form, catching up with friends and cheering a horse home from the stands.

Of course, betting must be properly regulated. People must be protected, and there must be more support for those who experience harm. Licensed operators have clear responsibilities and already operate under strict rules, including age checks, anti-money laundering requirements and safer gambling measures.

I have seen this first-hand, both through taking part in the Betting and Gaming Council’s Grand National Charity Bet and during a visit to my local betting shop in Doncaster. Staff take their responsibilities seriously, and there are safeguards in place to support customers.

Regulation must also be proportionate and based on evidence. It should protect people without pushing them away from the regulated market altogether.

That is why there is growing concern about proposed Financial Risk Assessments from within the horseracing industry.

These checks were presented as frictionless. Customers were not meant to be asked to hand over payslips, bank statements or other personal financial documents as a routine condition of enjoying a legal leisure activity. But the evidence from the pilot has raised serious questions about whether that promise can be met in practice. Operators have reported inconsistencies in the data returned by credit reference agencies, meaning more customers may face account restrictions or requests for further information. Before this is implemented across the board, we must iron out the issues so that we have a system that works as it was intended to.

Someone having a bet on the St Leger should not feel they are being treated as a financial risk for taking part in a legal activity that more than 22.5 million adults enjoy safely every month.

Racing fans may be particularly affected because of the seasonal nature of the sport. People might not bet regularly all year round but may choose to place a few more bets during major events like Cheltenham, Aintree, Royal Ascot or the St Leger itself. That kind of pattern should not automatically trigger intrusive checks.

There is also a wider risk. If people are faced with checks that feel intrusive or unreliable, some will turn to the illegal online black market. Those operators offer none of the protections we expect, no safeguards, no support, no tax contribution and no funding for racing.

The regulated betting and gaming industry supports over 109,000 jobs, contributes £6.8bn to the UK economy and raises £4bn in tax each year. Betting shops alone support 42,000 jobs across Britain, contribute £140m a year to horseracing, pay around £1bn in direct tax to the Treasury and provide a further £60m in business rates to local councils.

Racing is more dependent than many other sports on the funding it receives through betting. If flawed checks reduce activity in the regulated market, racing will feel the consequences quickly, not just by the sport but by communities like ours.

No one is arguing against protecting vulnerable people. That must always be part of the system and continually supported and improved. But those protections need to be targeted, proportionate and based on solid evidence.

Before any further steps are taken, the Government must ensure the Gambling Commission properly evaluates the pilot. If the data is inconsistent and customers may still face disruption or intrusive checks, then the case for moving forward simply has not been made and there is more work to be done.

This year, Doncaster will host a once in a generation celebration of the St Leger. It will showcase the very best of British racing, its history, its energy and its value to communities like ours.

We should be backing that success, not putting it at risk.