Fixed Odds Betting Terminal £2 limit per spin

There was a thread opened earlier on this but I want to question some of your comments.

Add to that the notion that government officials seem to know what the people of this country should be spending their money on and how to spend it. The government is merely responding to pressure from the general public, safe gambling bodies and the like.

Also how to spend leisure time and to outlaw gambling as they believe it to be wrong. And your evidence is?

Greyhound tracks being closed to facilitate more housing with these ventures rubber stamped by the powers that be. Which tracks did the government close to facilitate this? Have known some to close because of a lack of business but not aware of any through compulsory purchase.

Next will be the ban on pubs as they don’t believe people should be drinking. I take it you were being funny here.

They should never have allowed them in the first place. The spread of betting shops has been a blight on the landscape particularly in town centres. As for job losses, happens all the time ie: car industry, banking, docks, mining etc. Might help people to find something more rewarding.
There's always a chance that bookies will become bookies again.

If for example £1 billion less goes into bookie coffers then its very likely that the money
will be spent elsewhere hopefully creating new jobs.

It won't cost the bookies a billion or anything like it!
(though they will claim it to try to get their way)
2 reasons:
1, The big bookies have a huge online presence.
2, Machine punters will start betting over the counter.

The key is slowing it all down a bit and returning to a "betting opportunity" every 5 minutes or so and not every 30 seconds. Punters would soon get used to it once more.

cant see machine players going over the counter/ different breed

cant see £2 either tho think £30 more realistic

this leak of news strange one - plant i say

I saw loads of punters (including me), capt f, stop betting OTC and play the machines gradually placing less and less bets because they were so hooked to the machine.
The lack of excitement of the machine - through minimal stakes should make them revert to betting normally.
They aren't a different breed, they're all gamblers. It's just that machines are SO quick and SO addictive.

I agree about the news leak though, it does seem strange.

this leak of news strange one - plant i say

Could be, pile the pressure on to get to £2.
Doubt it'll go that low. £20 I'd back.

i in the shops every day Study

some punters back OTC only - no change

some do OTC / Machines - switch to otc

some Machines only - would not know diff between Frankle and
Stockport County _ will go on line/scratch card or just go


the last group keep the shops going

The End is Neigh

I've been a bookie for many years mate. Owning shops as well as running them for others.
My 1st shop was one of the 1st to rent machines, before roulette was even developed, before we knew what they would do.

I'm well out of it now though.

But, I do speak (write) from knowledge, even having played the things myself and seeing loads of what I spoke about including ruined lives and worse.
Old blokes exchanging their 10p L15 for their putting their savings in notes in the FOBTS then leaving without putting a bet on.
a 50p combination dog forecast (£3) out of a week's wages becoming the whole brown wages envelope contents being fed into the FOBTs

Same people - addicted and forgetting why they enjoyed popping to the betting shop.

The drop in bet numbers from maybe 250 a day in an average shop, midweek, to less than 100 was far too rapid for it too have been anything other than money transferring to FOBTs. On which profits the duty payable is 25% - which is why governments have been reluctant to get rid. Then there's the cost of renting them - which for small bookies is MUCH more than the big firms. I don't think the end is nigh.

However, I do believe that it will take a while for the return to the otc business. for the last 10-15 years it's been substitution, it won't change back overnight.

I would reckon that if you told all machine players the things were going to be banned, most of them would say "GOOD" and go back to written bets.

machine players mostly young

old guys like me dieing unfort

young people not using cash now

2 years ago i taking c £500 on football

now less than £100 cash out etc

i been in own buisness 35 years

note you say you well out of it

you are Correct M

All true - A little re-education might help.

Or, sod 'em, the greedy bookie firms have killed their own industry.
It didn't need fixing, but SIS, HBLB, Jockey Club, and whoever got the chance all wanted just that little bit more from bookies, so all that was left is the big few.

Then the fobt owners came along.
The things have helped no-one not the bookies, not the punters and not the poor sods whose lives have been ruined.

£2 my a r s e, can't happen as someone said it will be more like twenty, ALL the shops opened in the last ten years have been solely for the machines, they need to close the lot & stop this single manning that should cut down on the " loss of thousands of jobs "

get rid Gamb comm

that £2k a year nearly

I think the campaign (against the fobts) was really after £5, made a case for £16, but dreamed of £2, pumph.
It would be so good for society if they were £2, not as good as a blanket ban. £20 wouldn't change very much of what's going on now.

A ban of the machines and closure of the Gambling Commission. It's all that's needed.

The guy that developed the idea shares your initials StuddyForm.

I met the inventor of the 1st machines - soon after he developed them. An Austrian bloke, who joined forces with the one you're thinking of, who was running some west London shops. I've met him a few times too. He made MANY millions from them, he didn't develop the idea - he was in the right place, right time. He still works hard promoting the things as it happens.

Admiral Racing springs to mind.

Sad fact is it will probably be twenty both sides will say its a huge step in the right direction bla bla bla, nothing will change sadly with that except a few more fights with people getting impatient over waiting too long to get on a machine

Yep.
I even phoned him at home, in the early days, to arrange my taking of a couple of the first units.

True pumph - the GC, Govt and big firms all look after each other, while placating the press and pretending they're doing something meaningful.

think £20 will cheese off the "high roller's " who will prob p1ssoff

no great loss

still not a great job tho pump

Was certainly the Austrians idea but SF helped develop it.

Used to love settling bets, I dont reckon there are a hundred people left in the business that could do a pile of bets by just brainpower now

skilled job once Pump

It certainly was Capt, great buzz on a Saturday with a six inch high pile of bets

true miss those days

Night all off to Exeter tomorrow if on

Forecast not great, hope its on for you Capt

GN Capt-F hope you go through the card, assuming the meeting is on.

Love a day at the racing.

Kayf Charmer - 2.50  25/1 for a small ew tickle

cheers aka/pump but weather won