Bookmakers were in the news again this week for all the wrong reasons as The Times Newspaper ran two articles raising accusations of intrusive surveillance and the breaking of data protection legislation.

Betting made the headlines today with the very welcome news that the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) are opening an investigation into unfair bookmaker practice.

The CMA are inviting those of you with an experience to share on this issue to get in touch with them and the Smart Betting Club is encouraging as many of you as possible to do so!

On Sunday the findings from our recent survey on bookmaker account restrictions and closures were the topic of debate on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Featured, as part of the ‘5 Live Investigates’ show, it sought to seek answers as to why bookmakers are refusing to do business with customers who don’t fall into the category of ‘mug-punter’.

So, you may wonder, why are they restricting and closing thousands of accounts?

Let’s looks at some of the most intriguing reasons……

Through our new Better Betting Campaign we have been highlighting some of the unfair practices bookmakers currently employ – including that of restricting and closing your betting accounts.

As part of our Better Betting Campaign we recently interviewed the Chair of the Horseracing Bettors Forum (HBF), Simon Rowlands to find out his organisations take on some of the key issues confronting punters.