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While having the odd bet on your football team to win at the weekend sounds like a bit of harmless fun, it could actually scupper your chances of getting a mortgage.

Lenders have always been cautious when it comes to approving mortgages, but some brokers have noticed that even the odd gambling transaction is now viewed as a red flag.

Typically, borrowers will be judged on a range of factors, including their income, age, credit utilisation and payment history, when they submit a mortgage application.

The exact requirements to be approved for a mortgage can vary depending on the lender.

Joe Childes, mortgage adviser at Right Choice Mortgages, told the Money blog he had recently seen banks declining applications based on gambling transactions on clients’ bank statements, even if it’s just the odd flutter.

“The tolerance for gambling transactions seems to vary from lender to lender,” he said.

“We have seen cases declined where clients have separate accounts for placing bets, but even just those who bet on the football at the weekend.

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“Gambling transactions can be questioned by the underwriter, or in some cases we have seen straight declines with no grounds for appeal.”

On LinkedIn, he raised one case where his clients had filed a joint application, had no forms of credit in the background and were asking for a mortgage of less than 50% loan-to-value ratio, but were declined twice.

The pair were never in their overdraft and had £5,000 in their current account.

Pic: iStock
Image:
Pic: iStock

“These are football bets only, and just present on one statement out of the past three. Affordability for the level of transactions seen is not a concern,” he said.

He questioned whether banks would make the same decision for those who excessively drink or smoke, or those who go to their local bookies and use cash to place bets.

“If the client can afford the spending, is it right to dictate how they use their hard-earned money?” he asked.

What bets could cause an issue?

Mr Childes said it was “habitual spending” on betting that appeared to spark most concern with lenders, even if clients could easily afford how much they were putting down.

“For some clients, betting on the football, for example, can be a hobby and the amount spent is not excessive in relation to their income,” he said.

“However, we have seen applications from these clients declined even where the clients are not under financial pressure and can maintain the level of spending.”

This story originally ran in the award-winning Sky News Money blog – click here to read more

People should be aware that underwriters will review their bank statements when they apply for a mortgage, and gambling transactions are likely to be questioned.

“If the number of transactions seen through your account are considered to be excessive, this could lead to your mortgage application being declined,” Mr Childes said.

Lenders haven’t been able to clarify what their “tolerance level” for gambling is, he added, with many saying it is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The major lenders’ gambling policies

We asked all the major lenders to explain their gambling policies to the Money team – here’s what they said:

Santander

The high-street bank doesn’t have any specific gambling related policies for mortgage customers.

Instead, it undertakes affordability assessments when considering new mortgage applications.

This includes an assessment of a customer’s bank statements, which considers all their outgoings to make sure monthly repayments are affordable.

A photo of a mobile phone device with bank apps including Santander. Pic: iStock

Barclays

Barclays said it did not have any set rules when it comes to gambling: “We ensure all mortgages are affordable before we offer them, including testing at higher interest rates.”

Nationwide

As a “responsible lender”, Nationwide said it aimed to ensure customers can afford their mortgage payments now and in the future.

It said each application was assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking a range of factors into account to determine how much can be borrowed.

We also contacted HSBC, Natwest and Lloyds – but they didn’t get back to us.

Pic: PA
Image:
Pic: PA

What should you do?

If you think your gambling habits might be causing you a problem, there are steps you can take.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, co-founder of gambling blocking software Gamban, said people should start to look at their behaviour if they are chasing losses, preoccupied with gambling and thinking about their next bet, and losing interest in other activities.

“These behaviours will often lead to such significant loss-chasing in a gambling session that it causes significant financial harm that can impact you for weeks or even months,” he said.

“Being able to spot the signs before it reaches that point, and quitting, can prevent this from occurring in the first place.”

If you want to quit online gambling, talkbanstop.com offers free tools and support.

Banks also offer the option to block gambling transactions, which provides another layer of friction that can help prevent relapse, Mr Zarb-Cousin said.

“Gambling transactions can affect mortgage applications, but the primary concern of lenders is you’re not getting into debt to fund gambling,” he said.

He pointed out that lenders often look at bank statements from the past three to six months, so even quitting for that amount of time before applying could put you in a better position.

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Music video streamer ROXi lands backing from US broadcasters

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Music video streamer ROXi lands backing from US broadcasters

A music video-streaming service whose shareholders include the U2 bassist Adam Clayton will this week announce that it has sealed a management buyout after months of talks.

Sky News understands that the assets of MagicWorks, which trades as ROXi, have been sold to a new company called FastStream Interactive (FSI), with backing from two major US-based broadcasters.

Sources said that Nasdaq-listed Sinclair and New York Stock Exchange-listed Gray Media were among the new shareholders in FSI, with the launch of new interactive TV Channels in the US expected to take place shortly.

The deal, which has involved raising millions of pounds of new equity from new and existing investors, has resulted in previous creditors of the business being repaid in full, according to the sources.

Its search for funding from the US was seen as vital because of the programme to roll out its FastScreen technology.

Founded in 2014, ROXi described itself as the world’s first ‘made-for-television’ service, allowing viewers to stream millions of songs and download hundreds of thousands of karaoke tracks.

Its broadcast channels allow viewers to skip through content in which they have no interest.

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Simon Cowell, Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams were among the prominent music industry figures who had previously been named as ROXi investors.

Financiers including Guy Hands and Jim Mellon are said to be part of the new ownership structure.

In response to an enquiry from Sky News, Rob Lewis, FSI chief executive, said: “The new technology, FastStream, will revolutionise broadcast TV.

“For the first time in history, consumers tuning into a normal TV channel will find they automatically start at the beginning of the programme, and that they are able to skip, pause or search, even though they are watching normal broadcast TV”.

Begbies Traynor Group, the professional services firm, and Rockefeller Capital Management advised on the process.

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Concierge firm founded by Queen’s nephew hunts buyer

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Concierge firm founded by Queen's nephew hunts buyer

Quintessentially, the luxury concierge service founded by the Queen’s nephew, is in talks to find a buyer months after it warned of “material uncertainty” over its future.

Sky News has learned that the company, which was set up by Sir Ben Elliot and his business partners in 1999, is working with advisers on a process aimed at finding a new owner or investors.

City sources said this weekend that Quintessentially was already in discussions with prospective buyers and was anticipating receipt of a number of firm offers.

Sir Ben, the former Conservative Party co-chairman under Boris Johnson, owns a significant minority stake in the company.

The Quintessentially group operates a number of businesses, although its core activity remains the provision of lifestyle support to high net worth individuals including celebrities, royalty, and leading businesspeople.

It also counts major companies among its clients and offers services such as organising private jet flights and performances by top musicians.

The sale process is being overseen by a firm called Beyond, although further details, including the price that the business might fetch, were unclear on Saturday.

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One insider said parties who had been contacted by Beyond were being offered the option to buy a controlling interest in Quintessentially.

This could be implemented through a combination of the repayment of outstanding loans, an injection of new funding into the business, and the purchase of existing shareholders’ interests, they added.

Quintessentially’s founders, including Sir Ben, are thought to be keen to retain an equity interest in the company after any deal.

In January 2022, newspaper reports suggested that Quintessentially had been put up for sale with a valuation of £140m.

Deloitte, the accountancy firm, was charged with finding a buyer at the time but a transaction failed to materialise.

Sir Ben, who was knighted in Mr Johnson’s resignation honours list, turned to one of Quintessentially’s shareholders for financial support during the pandemic.

World Fuel Services, an energy and aviation services company, is owed £15.5m as well as £3.5m in accrued interest, according to one person close to the process.

The loan is said to include a warrant to convert it into equity upon repayment.

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Quintessentially does not disclose the number or identities of many of its clients, although it said in annual accounts filed at Companies House in January that it had increased turnover to £29.6m in the year to 30 April 2024.

The accounts suggested the company was seeing growth in demand from clients internationally.

“During the last year, we have not only renewed important corporate contracts like Mastercard, but have also expanded by adding new corporate clients like Swiss4 in the UK, R360 in India, and Visa in the Middle East and South America,” they said.

In its experiences and events division, it won a contract to work with the Red Sea Film Festival and to provide corporate concierge services to the Saudi Premier League.

It added that Allianz, the German insurer, BMW, and South African lender Standard Bank were among other clients with which it had signed contracts.

The accounts included the warning of a “risk that the pace and level at which business returns could be materially less than forecast, requiring the group and company to obtain external funding which may not be forthcoming and therefore this creates material uncertainty that may cast ultimately cast doubt about the … ability to continue as a going concern”.

This weekend, a Quintessentially spokesman declined to comment on the sale process.

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Superstar Adele joins backers of music royalties platform Audoo

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Superstar Adele joins backers of music royalties platform Audoo

Adele, the Grammy award-winning artist, has joined the list of music superstars investing in Audoo, a music technology company which helps artists to receive fairer royalty payments.

Sky News has learnt that the British musician and Adam Clayton, the U2 bassist, have injected money into Audoo as part of a £7m funding round.

The pair join Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney and ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus as shareholders in the company.

Changes to Audoo’s share register were filed at Companies House in recent days.

Audoo, which was established by former musician Ryan Edwards, is trying to address the perennial issue of public performance royalties, in order to ensure musicians are rewarded when their work is played in public venues.

Mr Edwards is reported to have been motivated to set up the company after hearing his own music played at football stadia and in bars, without any payment for it.

Estimates suggest that artists lose out on billions of dollars of unaccounted royalties each year.

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London-based Audoo uses a monitoring device – which it calls an Audio Meter – to recognise songs played in public venues, and which is said to have a 99% success rate.

It has struck what it describes as industry-first partnerships with organisations including the music licensing company PPL/PRS to track and report songs played in public performance locations such as cafes, hair salons, shops and gyms.

“At Audoo, we’re incredibly proud of the continued support we’re receiving as we work to make music royalties fairer and more transparent for artists and rights-holders around the world through our pioneering technology,” Mr Edwards told Sky News in a statement on Friday.

“We have successfully reached £7m in our latest funding round.

“This funding marks a pivotal moment for Audoo as we focus on our growth in North America and across Europe, bringing us closer to our mission of revolutionising the global royalty landscape.”

Sources said the new capital would be used partly to finance Audoo’s growth in the US.

The latest funding round takes the total amount of money raised by the company since its launch to more than $30m.

Mr Edwards has spoken of his desire to establish a major presence in Europe and the US because of their status as the world’s biggest recorded music markets.

Adele’s management company did not respond to an enquiry from Sky News.

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