...but top stake of £100 on bet machines may be slashed

THE maximum bet allowed on controversial machines known as Fixed Odds Betting Terminals could be slashed from £100 to £10 a spin, say industry insiders.

Britain’s 34,700 betting shop FOBTs are a key focus of a Government consultation into stakes and prizes in the gambling industry, which ends on December 4. The maximum stake of £100 every 20 seconds has led to fears that it leads to problem gambling. Rising opposition to FOBTs, including from MPs, the Local Government Association and even the Wetherspoon pub chain, means the Government is likely to take action.

While expectations had been that the stake might be halved to £50, action could be far more drastic.

‘If they are going to do anything, it will have to be meaningful,’ said one source. ‘There is no point in just tinkering, especially as it’s taken a long time for the issue to be addressed.’

Last week, research commissioned by amusement industry trade group Bacta found a cut to £10 would reduce harm caused to someone with a gambling problem. The report concluded: ‘Cumulatively, all the evidence converges in support of a substantial reduction in the maximum allowable stake.’

Bacta chief executive John White said: ‘There should be a substantial cut. If you reduce the stake size, you can dramatically reduce vulnerability to large losses.’

But bookmakers are fighting back. One industry executive warned: ‘If the stake was cut to £10 then the industry would have to mitigate the effect of that, meaning shops will close, staff will go. It won’t solve problem gambling.’