UK’s FOBTs reduction reportedly working

A government body said that the reduction has initiated more responsibility measures.

UK.- The UK’s Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC), a government independent body, has published on Monday its assessment of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) policy on fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs).

The RPC believes that the introduction of the reduction on the maximum stake on FOBTs from £100 to £2, which is set to take effect on April 1, has boosted social responsibility measures that are “fit for purpose”.

The DCMS said that the reduction was discussed and set in order to reduce gambling-related harm, therefore, as the RPC considers, the increase in social responsibility measures is a direct and tangible change from what was expected when the measure was introduced.

At the start of the process of reducing the stakes, the UK featured 33,611 FOBTs, 191 located in casinos and the rest in betting shops, the RPG said, adding that they had a gross gambling yield (GGY) of approximately €2 billion. The DCMS said that the limitations are set to force the industry to lose more than €550 million, as players could migrate from FOBTs to other modalities.

The report also details that the process of collecting information and analysis could be improved by introducing new measures, including a closer relationship between the DCMS and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) to develop a monitoring strategy.