Racing TV occupies a unique position within horseracing and with that comes a responsibility to safer gambling and encouraging people to bet within their limits.

Racing TV is 100% owned by its shareholder racecourses, which means 100% of its profits gets paid back into racing. Betting revenue is an essential element of the funding of horse racing, and, similarly, is a significant contributor to the Racecourse Media Group business, the parent company of Racing TV. As such, Racing TV features information that is designed to help those, who want to have a bet, make informed choices. Racing TV also has commercial partnerships with its bookmaker partners that enable racing to receive income for customers who open betting accounts through racingtv.com and through their subsequent betting.

Racing TV is committed to minimising the impact of those that suffer from gambling-related harm.

Therefore, we commit to doing as much as we can to prevent this through a number of areas:

• Education around safer gambling
• Continuing to investigate different ways to tackle gambling that is harmful
• Encouraging all of those who gamble to regularly 'take time to think'
• Signpost specialist organisations that can help should customers get into difficulties

WHAT IS RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING?

If betting is in any way affecting your life in a negative way such as creating financial stress, anxiety or depression, then it is not responsible and needs to be addressed.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE SURE YOU ARE BETTING SENSIBLY?

• Only ever gamble with money you can afford to lose.
• Know what your limits are before you start betting and be clear about them throughout.
• Remember to take a break and keep asking yourself if you are comfortable with the volumes of your betting. If you're not, then give yourself some clear space from gambling to make the smartest decisions.
• Don’t gamble when you’re not in a suitable frame of mind such as when you are upset or depressed.
• Try other activities to occupy your free time.
• Do not chase your losses.
• Look at how you perceive betting, try to treat it as an entertainment expense.

HOW WE CAN HELP

Racing TV is a member of the Responsible Affiliates in Gambling (RAIG) group, that seeks to help raise standards in the sector, particularly in respect of safer gambling.

Our aim is to be a part of the solution, tackling the problem head-on by providing help and advice and by directing individuals seeking help to other specialist organisations that help people with gambling problems.

The information and tools below have been collated to help you assess your gambling and take measures to stop if you need to.

DEPOSIT LIMIT – limit the amount you can add to your account with a particular bookmaker. This will prevent you from gambling with more than this set amount.

LOSS/TRANSFER LIMIT – limit the amount you can lose, so after you’ve lost a certain amount, you can’t gamble any more, or the amount you can transfer out of your account.

TAKE A BREAK – Online bookmakers allow you to lock yourself out of your account for a defined period of time. If you are not feeling comfortable with your betting - whatever the reason - take a step back and focus your energies elsewhere.

SELF EXCLUSION (LONG BREAK) – this is a permanent lockout from your bookmaker account. This will prevent you from being able to gamble with that bookmaker again.

SELF ASSESSMENT – GamCare are an independent UK charity which provides information, advice and support for anyone affected by problem gambling - they have a simple test on their website to help you assess if your gambling is causing a problem.

The assessment will provide you with a series of statements and ask you to select how much the statement applies to your gambling behaviour on a scale of 1-10. At the end of the test you will be presented with a breakdown of how gambling is affecting your life and will give you personalised recommendations for your next steps.

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

Where should you or someone you know go, if there’s a problem?

First of all, it might seem like a big deal to admit that there’s a problem – and it is. Gambling can destroy lives. But people admit they have a problem every day, and nobody thinks any less of them. In fact, it’s a sign of greater strength to admit there’s a problem, and even greater again to seek out help.

Below is a list of organisations who deal with people who have gambling problems every day. They’re the best people to contact first.

Gambling Therapy: offer a global online support service offering advice in multiple languages for anyone who has been adversely affected by gambling.

GAMCARE: provide support and advice for problem gambling whilst also offering free counselling. Their tools and services include:

• The National Gambling Helpline, open 24 hours every day on Freephone 0808 8020 133 or via Live Chat. Any discussion is confidential and will be completely judgement free
• GamCare also offer an online forum and daily online group chatrooms to allow people to connect with others who have been affected by gambling and form support networks
• A self-assessment tool which provides insight into your gambling behaviour
• Full list of financial services organisations in the UK currently offering gambling blocks on debit cards

BeGambleAware: provide advice and information as well as directing people to support to help keep them safe from gambling harms.

They also offer information on how to limit exposure to gambling content across social media platforms.

Gamblers Anonymous: a support group for anyone wishing to do something about their problem gambling

BLOCKING GAMBLING SITES

Gamstop allows you to put controls in place to restrict your online gambling activities.

The service is free and enables you to self exclude from gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed in Great Britain, for a period of your choosing.

You can find information on other multi-operator self-exclusion schemes here.

DEBT AND FINANCIAL ADVICE

Often, gambling can lead to financial problems including unpaid loans or credit card debt, which can mean there’s an urge to gamble to fund these. Do not do this.

Instead, look to engage with an organisation that can help with making a plan to addressing your debt. It’s never as bad as you think it is, so these organisations really can help.

National Debt Helpline My Money Steps Money Advice Service

WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE - SPOTTING THE SIGNS

We’ve collated some of the ways people can behave when they’ve got an issue with their gambling:

• Preoccupation with gambling, whether talking about betting all the time, or constantly checking the betting apps on their phone.
• Increased tolerance, gradually betting more, to get more of a kick out of it.
• Absence from work, college or university, likely to spend more time betting.
• An inability to stop, or if they have tried gambling before and not been able to stop.
• Irritable when unable to place a bet.
• Using betting as an escape from troubles at home or in work.
• Chasing losses.
• Hiding or being secretive about their betting.
• Asking for loans if they’ve lost a bet or multiple bets.
• Lying about their betting behaviour or winning or losing a bet.

WHAT TO DO

Often, intervention can seem tough and easily perceived as someone’s own problem that needs to be tackled by them, if and when they choose to.

However, if you do notice any of the signs above in someone you know, at least you’ve identified the problem. From there, how you address it can vary.

You may feel you are not the best person to mention it to them, but perhaps know the person best placed to say it. It can often help if it’s two or three people, so that they see it’s not just one person’s opinion. No matter who or how, ultimately the person in question will understand that you’re trying to look out for their best interests. If you need to show them proof, you can start by showing them the list above.

Once you’ve identified the problem, support is key along with directing them to any of the Support Organisations listed above to get help.

TIPS FOR PROTECTING MINORS

• Keep your username, password and deposit details out of reach.
• Don’t save passwords or use auto-fill on your computer.
• If there are young people around, always log out of your account on your various devices
• Install website blocking software, which allows you to control and block access to gambling websites
• Educate children about the legality and potential damage of underage gambling.
• Limit the amount of time your children spend online.
• Familiarise yourself with the built in parental tools on your Mobile/Tablet/PC/TV devices