£1,020 bet each minute
The Campaign for Fairer Gambling in Northern Ireland wants to call a halt to high-stakes betting machines, which separated bettors from their money to the tune of £535 million in a single year.
According to the Belfast Telegraph, fixed odds betting terminals are considered the “crack cocaine” of gambling, with about £1,020 wagered every minute. Punters bet £100 a spin at the digital terminals, which are found only in betting shops. Northern Ireland has more than 300 shops with about 900 machines.
Campaign members Adrian Parkinson has already met Social Development Minister Mervyn Storey to discuss the issue, according to the Telegraph. “There is a huge social cost in allowing high-stake, high-speed gaming of this type in such easily accessible gambling venues like betting shops,” Parkinson said.
Campaigners want the stakes slashed from £100 to just £2.
