Critics call for stronger measures
The UK government has granted ministers in Wales the power to license gaming machines in cases where the maximum stake is more than £10.
But opponents of fixed odds betting terminals, in which punters can bet up to £100 per hand, say that’s not enough to stem the tide of FOBTs because it applies only to new licenses and not existing machines, reports the BBC. The Campaign for Fairer Gambling estimates customers in Wales lost over £50 million on FOBTs) between September 2014 and September 2015.
Campaign consultant Adrian Parkinson says bettors can lose thousands of pounds in just a few hours on FOBTs, where £100 can theoretically be wagered every 20 seconds. “It’s just them and the machine, they get in the zone,” he said. “If you’re playing five times faster than in a casino, you are going to lose money five times faster.”
Betting shops are limited to four machines per shop, but opponents say that’s only led to more high street bookies. In response, a spokesman for the Association of British Bookmakers said betting shops in Wales are the “safest place” because they’re highly regulated.
“No betting shop in Wales can open with a license from their local authority, and must abide by over 90 pages of regulations,” he said.
The Labour Party agrees that the new law should apply to existing machines, and further contends that the maximum stake should be £2, not £10. The party estimated there are more than 1,500 FOBTs in Wales and that bettors there wager more than £1.6 billion per year.
Though critics say the measure falls short, Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens MP said it’s “an important victory to help stop out-of-control gambling that can ruin lives. Responsible gambling can be harmless fun, but these machines which have been dubbed ‘the crack cocaine of gambling’ are causing real and lasting damage.”
