MPs give in to bookies lobby on FOBTs

A leaked document has revealed that MPs pushed arguments made by bookie lobbyist during the FOBTs stake limit reduction debate.

UK.- Fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) maximum stake limit is soon to be slashed down and bookmakers are trying to avoid it going down to £2, as proposed by the Labour Party (LP). According to a leaked document, some MPs were pushing arguments made by lobbyists for the industry prior to the debate on the subject and has generated concerns on the LP.

“I have been campaigning against fixed-odds betting terminals for many years now, and everyone who has been involved in this campaign is well aware that the gambling lobby is a very powerful and well-resourced organisation with friends in parliament who are keen to protect their interests and profits,” said Labour MP David Lammy. “The damage caused by these machines has been tolerated for far too long, aided and abetted by this lobbying.”

According to the leaked document, some statements like those highlighting steps taken by bookies to tackle problem gambling or the shops employement rate could actually be versions of the bookmakers own questions.

Bookmakers are bracing for impact as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is preparing three options for the maximum stake limit to be set on FOBTs. The current limit is £100 every 20 seconds and could be dropped to £2 (as proposed by the Labour party), £50 (which is the most appealing to bookies) and one between £10 and £30.