Displaying items by tag: fixed odds betting terminals

The Bishop of St Albans, a leading campaigner for measures to limit the harm done by Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, has responded to the Gambling Commission recommendations. He supports reducing maximum stake on machines to £2, from the current £100 level. The Commission recommended limiting the stake to about £30, leaving it up to the Government to decide the final figure. Bishop Alan said, ‘Any stake higher than £2 does not go far enough to protect the most vulnerable, their families, and communities. Ministers must put the interests of those affected by them ahead of concerns about tax revenue or the powerful gambling lobby. We desperately need gambling regulations that are ordered, sensible, and caring for the vulnerable. I hope the Ministers will be courageous and reduce the maximum stake to £2.’

Churches and faith groups have urged the Government to be strong on reforms to fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs). While they welcomed its recent announcement of a consultation on proposed changes to gaming machines, they warned that the range of options for a maximum stake for FOBTs was too wide. They believe that if the maximum stake is radically reduced, from the current £100 maximum to £2, this will help to reduce the potentially enormous financial loss some people experience, and therefore the consequences - which include debt, depression and crime. They urged the Government to view gambling addiction as a public health issue, stating, ‘The Department of Health must engage with gambling addiction strategically, at the levels of prevention and also treatment for individuals.’