UK backtracks delay on £2 FOBTs maximum stake

The government revealed that the stake reduction is set to take place six months before the announced date.

UK.- The maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) has been subject to multiple discussions over the last couple of years. What seemed to be the end of the discussion – with October 2019 as the official date for the implementation – is now another chapter in the story, as this time it has been replaced with a new one: the government backtracked its decision to delay the cut and announced April as the new date.

Jeremy Wright, the culture secretary, issued a written statement on Wednesday afternoon confirming that the stake reduction is set to take place in April 2019, six months before than Chancellor Philip Hammond had stipulated in the official budget for next year. “The government has been clear that protecting vulnerable people is the prime concern, but that as a responsible government it is also right to take the needs of those employed by the gambling industry into account and provide time for an orderly transition,” the written statement said.

“Parliament has, however, been clear that they want this change to be made sooner. The government has listened and will now implement the reduction in April 2019,” reads Wright’s statement.

As the £100 to £2 cut will be brought forward, an increase in remote gaming duty is also expected to hit the industry in April 2019. The Finance Bill is now waiting for an amendment.

After former Sports Minister Tracey Couch resigned for being against the delay, more than 100 members of the Parliament from both sides of the Commons signed amendments to force Prime Minister Theresa May to hurry the maximum stakes reduction. 

“I’ve been told they will indeed bring forward the date of implementation to April 2019, which is what the (original) expectation was,” said Crouch, who believes one of the reasons is that pressure was involved. “I think they were quite surprised, although they shouldn’t have been because I had told that this was going to be the outcome. They were surprised by the views… of the risks and harms of these machines and the fact is urgent action needed to be taken and there was no justification for the delay until October 2019.”