Over the past two years there's been a lot of cross-party working on the campaign to reduce the maximum stake on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) - currently set at a ludicrous £100. As an All Party Group we identified £2 as the stake at which we could help end the horrendous harm caused by problem gambling on FOBTs and which would also reflect rules on similar machines.
My colleagues on the All Party Parliamentary Group on FOBTs and I have heard compelling evidence of the massive problems that the current high stakes can cause: addiction, debt, family breakdown, homelessness and even suicide. The FOBT losses in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East in 2016, alone, were £2,029,404.
Therefore, when the government announced in May this year that it accepted the recommendations of a long overdue review to reduce the maximum stake of £100 every 20 seconds to just £2, it was very welcome indeed. The Government has a duty to act in the public interest. However, the Government wanted to delay this change until April 2020, which was completely unacceptable. Eventually, it responded to pressure in November last year and brought forward the date of the stake reduction to April of 2019, instead of October (an unjustified longer time frame which prompted the resignation of a government minister).
It means more people and families will be spared from the disastrous effects of these very harmful and highly addictive high stakes machines. Well done to all involved!
My colleagues on the All Party Parliamentary Group on FOBTs and I have heard compelling evidence of the massive problems that the current high stakes can cause: addiction, debt, family breakdown, homelessness and even suicide. The FOBT losses in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East in 2016, alone, were £2,029,404.
Therefore, when the government announced in May this year that it accepted the recommendations of a long overdue review to reduce the maximum stake of £100 every 20 seconds to just £2, it was very welcome indeed. The Government has a duty to act in the public interest. However, the Government wanted to delay this change until April 2020, which was completely unacceptable. Eventually, it responded to pressure in November last year and brought forward the date of the stake reduction to April of 2019, instead of October (an unjustified longer time frame which prompted the resignation of a government minister).
It means more people and families will be spared from the disastrous effects of these very harmful and highly addictive high stakes machines. Well done to all involved!