The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) was represented by Director of Integrity, Legal and Risk Adam Brickell at a meeting held today by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) regarding integrity in sport. BHA’s presence was requested alongside representatives of other major British sports, DCMS and the Gambling Commission.

Speaking following the meeting, Adam Brickell said:

“We welcomed the opportunity to brief the Secretary of State on how Horseracing addresses the threat of betting-related corruption, and how BHA works together with other sports to share our experiences and develop best practice.

“There is already regular communication between BHA and the other major sports on integrity issues, and representatives from several sports have visited BHA to see our Integrity unit at work, which includes live time monitoring of races and betting markets, and the use of intelligence networks.

“BHA has plenty of experience of using its intelligence and investigative functions to successfully bring complex conspiracy cases relating to betting before a Disciplinary Panel with significant penalties being issued to participants.

“We agree with the Secretary of State that education of participants forms a key part of any integrity strategy and is a subject that warrants reviewing on an on-going basis to ensure that it is appropriate and effective. Extensive measures for educating participants in racing are already in place but, as with all areas, we recognise there is always scope to learn from others and make further improvements.”