Betting stakes to be reduced in gambling machine crackdown

Government chiefs are to reduce the maximum stake on fixed odds betting machines from £100 to between £50 and £2 in order to protect vulnerable gamblers.

According to the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, there are 157 of the machines in Blackpool. Figures from August 2016 indicate a total of £175m was gambled on them in the previous year, netting bookmakers more than £5m.

Campaigners in the resort want to see the maximum stake reduced to £2.

Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden said: “I along with Blackpool Council and many other people have been lobbying very hard to get these controls.

“Not only are these high stakes a threat to many people’s personal finances, but it creates an unfair playing field with traditional arcades.

“I will be arguing for the strictest limit to be introduced because we cannot afford to have vulnerable people in Blackpool at risk from these high roller spends any longer.”

Blackpool Council leader Coun Simon Blackburn said: "I am pleased the Government has responded positively to our calls to limit the damage wreaked by Fixed Odds Betting Terminals.

"But I am clear we've only won the battle, and not yet the war. We need to see maximum stakes reduced to £2, the sooner the better."

Launching a 12-week consultation, Gambling Minister Tracy Crouch said: “It is vital that we strike the right balance between socially responsible growth and protecting the most vulnerable, including children, from gambling-related harm.

“Given the strong evidence and public concerns about the risks of high stakes gaming machines on the high street, we are convinced of the need for action.”

The consultation ends on January 23 next year.