Northern Irish bookies slash FOBTs maximum stake

Bookmakers in Northern Ireland will cut the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals, as agreed by local associations.

Northern Ireland.- Fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) have recently been the centre of attention in the UK as the government will enforce a slash down for its maximum stake from €115 to €2,3 (£2). However, while Northern Ireland would’ve been excluded from the mandatory change (the issue is a devolved matter), local bookmakers have agreed to enforce it as well.

The Northern Ireland Turf Guardians’ Association (NITGA), announced it will slash the maximum stake in April, including leading members Toals and McLean’s. Even as the northern industry “remains overwhelmingly dominated by traditional over-the-counter betting,” a NITGA spokesman explained, FOBTs have been operational for 15 years already.

“We have been consulting with our membership over the past number of months and operators, including A McLean Bookmakers, Toals Bookmakers, Ladbrokes Coral, William Hill and Paddy Power have confirmed that FOBTs within their betting shops will align with the (€2,3) maximum stake,” he said.

However, as NITGA operators agree on the maximum stake cut, Sean Graham bookmakers, which isn’t a member of the association, is still looking into it. “(We’re) exploring how we can implement the reduced stake on a voluntary basis,” a spokesman for the company said.