Now IDS calls for curbs on ‘crack cocaine’ bet machines
IAIN Duncan Smith last night heaped pressure on ministers to take swift action against gambling machines which he branded a ‘tax on the poor’.
The former Work and Pensions Secretary said maximum stakes on ‘addictive’ fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) should be slashed from £100 to just £2.
He argued that the machines, which have been compared to using crack cocaine, fuel debt, crime and family breakdown.
His comments came as a report by his Centre for Social Justice thinktank concluded that a £2 maximum stake was vital to protect the public.
Last year the Department for Culture, Media and Sport ordered a review of the touchscreen machines that offer casino-style games such as roulette, amid concerns about their damage to society.
But last week the Daily Mail revealed that a clampdown on the terminals had been shelved after the Treasury raised concerns about the potential loss of hundreds of millions of pounds in tax revenue if stakes were cut sharply.
Mr Duncan Smith urged ministers to combat the ‘ vicious spiral of poverty’ linked to the machines.
He told the Mail: ‘It is essential the Government acts now to curb the damaging impact of fixed betting terminals.
‘These machines constitute a tax on the poor. Lowering the maximum spend for each bet will slow down the rate at which money can be lost.
‘High stakes gambling leads to problem debt, crime and family breakdown. It is detrimental to mental and physical health and employment pros- pects. The families of gamblers inevitably pay a high price as these terminals feed an addiction every bit as pernicious as drugs addiction.
‘We must reduce the number of people falling into this vicious spiral of poverty.’
The CSJ review revealed a worrying rise in problem gambling. The number of FOBTs is now at an all-time high of 34,809, and £1.7 billion is lost on the machines every year.
The report said: ‘ Stakes should be cut off beyond the £2 mark. This will protect users from falling into problem gambling, thus nullifying the corrosive effects that evidence has shown FOBTs to have in perpetuating poor mental health, violence and family breakdown.’
Two years ago Government regulations forced gamblers wanting to bet £50 a time or more to open an account. But the CSJ said the rules had ‘missed the mark’.
It pointed to evidence that one in four calls to gambling helplines were linked to the machines. This week a senior Church of England Bishop wrote to Chancellor Philip Hammond to urge him not to obstruct the cut to the size of the stake gamblers can pump into the machines.
The Bishop of St Albans, the Right Reverend Alan Smith, wrote to the Chancellor yesterday to warn of ‘concern’. He said there are a ‘great many vulnerable people who are at risk of gambling-related harm, and whose lives are often blighted by the presence of FOBTs on our high streets.
Ministers would be backed in any vote to limit stake sizes by the Democratic Unionist Party, which wants to combat problem gambling.
A £2 maximum stake also appeared in the Labour manifesto. But officials estimate this could cost the Exchequer as much as £400 million.