Talking Horses: are female punters discriminated against by bookies?

Are some of Britain’s major bookmakers guilty of gender discrimination when they sign up new customers? The question arises following a conversation with a former employee at a major bookmaking firm, who suggests practices in the gambling industry could breach discrimination laws.

The source of the claim worked as a trader with a well-known betting brand for almost 10 years until earlier this year, says firms routinely discriminate between male and female punters from the moment they open an account, purely on the basis of their gender.

“Accounts that are opened by women are treated differently from day one,” the former trader says. “They could have half of the limits [on stakes] that male customers can have, and they are more likely to have their bets referred [for approval by traders]. They can also lose offers like ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ more quickly. It’s because female customers are known to be less profitable than male ones.”

Related: Talking Horses: Longchamp Trials send thoughts towards Arc day

The development of internet betting over the last 20 years means that modern bookmakers have many times more customers than would have been the case 20 years ago, and often process huge numbers of bets at a bewildering speed, in particular in the moments leading up to the start of a big sporting event. As a result, all firms have sophisticated systems in place to defend their margins, and restrict or refuse bets from the most successful punters.

The relative unprofitability of betting accounts opened by women when compared to those of male punters is also well known in the industry. It is possible that women are simply shrewder gamblers than men, but it is also likely that traders fear accounts opened by female customers are being used as a front by “faces” – punters who have previously been banned for winning too much money.

“Where I was working, when you called up the details of an account, the page was flagged up in pink if the holder was a woman so you couldn’t miss it,” the ex-trader claims. “But I don’t think this is just something that was happening where I was working. Most of the big firms use the same software, and this is something that happens industry-wide.”

The Equality Act 2010 allows service providers to provide “separate” services for men and women if it is a better or more effective way to conduct their business – but only if they can demonstrate that there is a valid reason for doing so. So the question here may be whether a bookie’s fears that big-hitting winners could be hiding behind new female customers are sufficient reason to treat those customers differently “from day one” solely on the basis of their gender?

Ladbrokes/Coral, William Hill, Bet365, BetFred and Paddy Power were all asked on Wednesday what percentage of their account holders are female and whether they are satisfied that their business practices and procedures with regard to female customers are fully compliant with current gender equality legislation.

As yet, only Ladbrokes/Coral have responded. The make-up of our customer base varies by brand, product and territory,” a spokesperson said. “For commercial reasons we don’t disclose specific details. In all cases we abide by gender equality legislation and our communication with our customers is based on their individual playing preferences and not their gender.”

If minds need concentrating, a spokesperson for the Gambling Commission, the industry’s regulator, said on Wednesday that any breach of equality laws by gambling firms could potentially be a threat to their licence to operate.

“Were licensees found to be in breach of anti-discrimination laws this would certainly reflect on their suitability to hold an operating licence,” the spokesperson said. “As the gambling regulator we expect operators to protect their customers from harm and treat them fairly.”

Thursday’s best bets

Ayr has had its share of problems in recent years, most obviously when the three-day Western meeting, including the Ayr Gold Cup, was abandoned in 2017 due to a small patch of unraceable ground on an otherwise raceable track. But that issue has since been addressed and even the weather seems to be behaving itself before this year’s edition, with plenty of sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures forecast for all three days.

The ground is likely to be drying steadily as a result but it remains good, good-to-soft in places at the moment and that should be ideal for What’s The Story (3.30) as he steps out of handicap company for the first time in the Listed Doonside Cup. Keith Dalgleish’s gelding looked better than ever when successful off a mark of 103 at York last time and does not have much, if anything, to find to see off this field.

Queen’s Sargent (2.00) should go well in the seven-furlong handicap earlier on the card while Equidae (3.00) and the evergreen B Fifty Two (4.30) are also fairly priced. Punchbowl Flyer (1.50) has strong claims in the opener at Yarmouth, while the game and improving Anna Bunina (3.10) has an excellent chance to complete a hat-trick at Pontefract.

Ayr
1.30 Morisco 2.00 Queen’s Sargent 2.30 Carey Street 3.00 Equidae 3.30 What’s The Story 4.00 Lady Alavesa 4.30 B Fifty Two 5.00 Remember Rocky

Yarmouth
1.50 Punchbowl Flyer (nb) 2.20 Ursa Minor 2.50 Esprit Rose 3.20 Eynhallow 3.50 Miss Latin 4.20 Cardano 4.50 Yimou

Pontefract
2.10 Seas Of Elzaam 2.40 Hammer Gun 3.10 Anna Bunina (nap) 3.40 Betsey Trotter 4.10 Forewarning 4.40 Isocrates 5.10 Atletico

Chelmsford
4.55 Audio 5.30 Conkering Hero 6.00 Always Amazing 6.30 Shimmering Dawn 7.00 Dr Jekyll 7.30 London Pride 8.00 Poetic Legacy 8.30 Fair Power

Southwell
5.15 Break The Silence 5.45 Sumner Beach 6.15 Cliffs Of Freedom 6.45 Jack The Truth 7.15 Borsdane Wood 7.45 Gorgeous General 8.15 Foresee