Motherwell and Wishaw MP, Marion Fellows, has welcomed the news that the maximum stake for fixed odd betting terminals (FOBTs) will be capped at £2 after a long-running SNP campaign at Westminster.

Up until today, the UK has been the only developed country that allowed gamblers to bet up to £100 every 20 seconds on the highly-addictive electronic casino games, according to a Respublica report.

Research from Landman Economics has shown that the average FOBT user loses £192 a month, with the average user of machines already capped at £2 a spin losing just £22 in comparison.

Marion Fellows commented:

I am glad the Tory Government has finally come to its senses and introduced a more responsible maximum stake of £2 on FOBTs, but this change has taken too long.

We should never let the gambling industry dictate government policy for electronic gambling machines or in any circumstance.

FOBTs like roulette are linked to gambling addiction, debt and family breakdowns, and they have taken advantage of vulnerable people in our community for too long.

We’re moving in the right direction to address gambling related harm and to begin to mitigate the number of problem gamblers in the country.

But we need to go further and tackle the link between young people and gambling, the prevalence of online gambling and whether it’s time to introduce a compulsory levy for the bookmakers to fund GambleAware and tackling gambling related harm.

The welfare of the individuals and their families should come before bookmaker profits and the industry must behave responsibly.

MILLIONS LOST LOCALLY EACH YEAR

Figures from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling have this week revealed that Fixed Odd Betting Terminals (FOBTs) have cost people in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency £25.4million between 2008 and 2016.

£90million has been lost across North Lanarkshire over the same period with 83 licenses issued across the local authority.

Between 2015-16, campaigners say £3.8million was lost across Motherwell and Wishaw and £13.3million across NL.

Motherwell and Wishaw MP, Marion Fellows, has backed the campaign to cap the maximum bet on FOBTs at £2. Gamblers can currently spend up to £100 per turn.

Commenting, Marion said:

FOBTs are a drain on our local communities and economies. The UK Government must act and cap betting at £2 per turn.

Despite their claims to be serving the local community, Bookies have one aim and one aim only: to take money from the pockets of punters and put it in their own costing jobs and destroying the lives of individuals and families.

Bookies target working class communities – communities which often lack investment and opportunities. FOBTs encourage problem gambling resulting in millions being lost which could be put to better use doing something worthwhile like supporting local, independent businesses or local groups and causes. Essentially, supporting each other.

The UK Government must enforce a £2 cap to tackle problem gambling and the things that encourage it and stop the exploitation.

Wishaw Press: Motherwell & Wishaw punters lost almost £3.75m on bookies gaming machines

It is no surprise that bookmakers are conveniently placed in areas of high unemployment and poverty.

Westminster alone has the power to properly curb the ongoing exploitation these terminals allow. They have been shown to be detrimental to both impoverished communities and individuals.

The UK Government must ensure that local licensing authorities have the powers to limit the use of terminals in betting offices and to prevent their clustering in particular areas.