Review plea over betting terminals
AN MP has written to the UK Government amid reports it is set to scrap a review into controversial Fixed Odds Betting Terminals.
The review, already delayed, was due to begin this autumn, but it has been suggested the Chancellor is concerned cutting the cap on stakes down to £2 could reduce tax income form the machines.
Ronnie Cowan, SNP MP and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on FOBTs has said the government must think about the harm caused by the gambling machines not the tax income it could lose.
He said: “I’ve heard firsthand accounts from individuals whose lives have been affected by gambling related harm and these machines.
“The evidence shows that these machines are directly linked to problem gambling with four out of five FOBT gamblers exhibiting problem gambling behaviour at stakes in excess of £13 a spin compared to one in five at stakes £2 and under.”
In Glasgow, latest estimates are that gamblers in the city lose £35m a year on the ma- chines. It is believed £175m is staked but when re-staked winnings are included the figure increases to almost £1bn.
Culture, Media and Sport minister, Tracey Crouch wrote to Mr Cowan last year to say she had concerns about the amount of cash that can be staked on the machines. She said the government understood the public’s concerns.