Watchdog calls for maximum £30 stake in FOBT non-slot games
The stake limit for fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT) (B2) non-slot games, including roulette, should be cut to £30, the Gambling Commission has said.
The watchdog said the reduction from £100 was needed “if it is to have a significant effect on the potential for players to lose large amounts of money in a short space of time”.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has previously called for a maximum limit of £2.
The Gambling Commission’s recommendation came in its formal advice to support the Government with its review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures.
The watchdog said that at the heart of the advice was an aim to reduce the risks that consumers, especially those that are vulnerable, face from gambling.
Action from Government, the Commission and operators is needed, it added.
Other recommendations from the report include:
- The FOBT (B2) slots stakes should be limited to £2
- Banning the facility for machines to allow different categories of games to be played in a single session
- There is a strong case to make tracked play mandatory across machines categories (B1,B2,B3)
- Extending to category B1 and B3 machines the kinds of protections, such as player limits, that are in place on FOBT (B2 machines)
- Working with the industry and others on steps to make limit-setting more effective – this could include ending sessions when consumers reach time and money limits.
Gambling Commission Chief Executive Neil McArthur said: “We’ve put consumers at the heart of our advice – advice which is based on the best available evidence and is focussed on reducing the risk of gambling-related harm.’
“In our judgement, a stake cut for Fixed Odds Betting Terminals alone doesn’t go far enough to protect vulnerable people. That is why we have recommended a stake cut plus a comprehensive package of other measures to protect consumers.
“We have proposed actions that will tackle both the risk of harm and provide solutions that are sustainable in the longer term.”
Responding to the Gambling Commission’s report, Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “Councils have consistently raised concerns about the number of high stakes FOBTs and betting shops on our high streets, and the impact these have on individuals and communities.
“Someone playing on a machine can lose £100 in a matter of seconds in a single play on an FOBT. This is money many people can’t afford to lose, which is why we have called for these stakes to be reduced to £2 in our submissions to the Government’s review."
Cllr Blackburn added: “The Gambling Commission’s advice is clear – maximum stakes should not exceed £30, but we would encourage the Government to go further and implement the maximum possible reduction to £2, alongside other protection measures outlined by the commission.
“The higher stakes permitted on FOBTs is significantly out of line with other high street gambling machines and the harm and anti-social behaviour they can cause has become an issue of growing national concern. It’s essential the Government commits to taking the strongest possible measures to address these concerns."
