More pressure to implement FOBTs reduction

An organisation of local authorities has urged the government to implement the maximum stake reduction.

UK.- After the British government decided to reduce the maximum stake for fixed odds betting machines (FOBTs), the gambling industry expected the measure to come into force by 2019 but authorities said that the limit won’t be implemented before 2020. Now, there are several parties asking the government to reconsider the timeframe.

The Local Government Association, an organisation of local authorities representing 370 town halls across England and Wales, has urged the government to bring the new stake by spring 2019. The association says that the delay could make players lose more than £3 billion in the two year period before the limit is implemented.

Moreover, it says that while the industry needs time to adapt its businesses to work under the new limit, the government should resist pressure from betting shops to delay the change for two years, as it argues that £5 million is being lost on FOBTs every day.