Liberal Democrats in local government have welcomed news that a move to cut the maximum stake on addictive gambling machines from £100 to £2 could be announced soon.
The government is understood to have accepted recommendations that stakes for Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) should be reduced to £2, although a final confirmation will be expected once the local elections are over on May 3rd.
Councillor Howard Sykes, Liberal Democrat Group Leader at the LGA said: “Bringing the stakes down to £2 would help prevent vulnerable players from losing £100 in seconds in a single play, which many people cannot afford to lose. It is an issue that Liberal Democrats have been campaigning on for a while now, and we would support action being taken on this issue.
“The harm to individuals and anti-social behaviour they can cause has become an issue of growing national concern, while research has shown that problem gambling, often linked to FOBTs, creates huge costs for the NHS, councils and the criminal justice system. People losing money through Fixed Odds Betting Terminals often turn to payday lenders and loan sharks to pay off debts or fund their gambling habit.”
NOTE TO EDITORS:
Fixed Odds Betting Terminals or B2s are touch screen roulette machines found in betting shops across Britain, on which gamblers can play casino style games, currently with £100 maximum stake per spin.