A UK horserace bettors’ group is criticizing bookmakers for closing the accounts of winning punters, a practice the group claims is contributing to the sport’s decline.

The Horserace Bettors Forum (HBF) was established one year ago by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) to provide a platform via which racing punters could air their concerns. On Monday, the HBF released the results of a survey that suggests bookmakers are too eager to close betting accounts linked to above average win rates.

The survey, conducted in April, found that 878 respondents reported having over 1k accounts closed while a further 4k accounts had limits put on betting activity. Given punters’ practice of having accounts with more than one bookie, the HBF claimed that discussions with an unidentified bookie estimated the total number of accounts affected industry-wide at around 20k.

The HBF says 59% of the 878 bettors queried via the survey reported that the bookies’ risk-averse strategy had decreased these punters’ interest in betting on racing. The HBF extrapolated this number to conclude that, nationwide, over 4k bettors lose interest in race betting every six months.