THE BOOKIE WINS AGAIN

THIS week the Government could have cracked down on FOBTs. However, instead of supporting public opinion they’ve sided with the bookies.

These machines are the crack cocaine of gambling.

There are tens of thousands of them on high streets across the country. They are highly addictive and designed to get punters hooked, allowing bets of up to £100 every 20 seconds.

There is a limit to the number of machines bookies can have in one shop.

But they have got around it by opening multiple outlets – often on the same street.

It’s deeply cynical. There are 34,000 FOTBs and many are in disadvantaged areas.

People lost £1.8billion on these machines last year. The addiction and debt they cause can rip families apart.

Reducing the maximum stake from £100 to £2 would put a stop to that.

That’s what Labour would do.

The Tories had a chance to do the same. Instead, they decided this week to consult rather than to act. It is a missed opportunity and the only winners are the bookies. b That’s why their share prices went up this week.

Labour will continue to push for £2 a spin. And we won’t w stop there. Gambling firms advertise heavily on football shirts.

That worries me because children are big fans of the game. I don’t want them to grow up thinking that watching a match goes hand in hand with betting.

Lots of people enjoy a flutter. However, gambling companies need to start acting responsibly.