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20 Dec 13
18:25
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10 Jan 02
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25461551
Ed Miliband has vowed to give councils the power to ban high stakes roulette machines from bookmakers' shops if Labour wins the next election.
Punters can bet up to £300 a minute on so-called Fixed Odds Betting Terminals.
Mr Miliband said they were "spreading like an epidemic" causing "debt and misery" and acting as a magnet for crime and anti-social behaviour.
He said Labour would amend planning and gambling laws so councils in England, Scotland and Wales could ban them.
He told BBC News fixed odds machines were "addictive for some people" and the gambling industry targeted poorer parts of the country.
"Somebody has got to step in and stand up to the betting industry," he added.
'Mini casinos'
There are over 33,000 FOBT machines making over £1.5bn each year for the big bookmakers - about half their annual profits.
Fixed-odds betting terminals were launched in 1999 after then chancellor Gordon Brown scrapped tax on individual bets in favour of taxing bookmakers' profits
High stakes casino-style gambling is banned from High Streets but FOBTs used remote servers so that the gaming was not taking place on the premises
After the 2005 Gambling Act, FOBTs were given legal backing and put under the same regulatory framework as fruit machines
They stopped using remote servers but stakes were limited to £100 and terminals to four per betting shop
According to the Gambling Commission there are 33,284 FOBTs across the UK
The average weekly profit per FOBT in was 2012 £825, up from £760 in 2011, according to the Gambling Commission
The number of betting shops in the UK has increased from 8,500 to 9,100 over the past two years, with hundreds more planned
Critics say the machines are highly addictive and lead to crime and poverty but the gambling industry says there is no hard evidence of this and have promised a new code of conduct to allow players to limit their own stakes.
The government has not ruled out taking action to cut the stakes and prizes on FOBT machines to make them less potentially addictive.
But it is awaiting the outcome of a study into how harmful the machines are to individual players, which is due to report next autumn.
It was changes to gambling legislation brought in by Labour that allowed bookmakers to start installing FOBT machines.
But Mr Miliband said the current limit of four per betting shop, had simply led to "clusters" of shops opening together, often operating from 7.30am to 10pm, with councils powerless to act.
Labour would legislate to put betting shops in a separate use class so that councils can use planning powers to control the number opening in their area - at the moment they are in the same class as banks.
The party would also review the number of high-speed, high-stakes FOBTs allowed on bookmakers' premises - including banning them altogether.
And it would take steps to make the machines less addictive by cutting time between plays, requiring pop-ups and breaks in play.
Fixed odds betting terminals in William Hill
Mr Miliband said: "In towns and cities across Britain today, you can see how the old bookies are being turned into mini-casinos.
"In the poorest areas, these are spreading like an epidemic along high streets with the pawn shops and pay day lenders that are becoming symbols of Britain's cost-of-living crisis."
'Pull the plug'
He added: "In Newham there are 87 betting shops with an estimated 348 machines and across the five Liverpool constituencies there are 153 betting shops with around 559 FOBTs.
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
This announcement has nothing to do with helping problem gamblers; it is simply about playing politics with the jobs of 40,000 people, and the enjoyment of eight million people for no reason”
End Quote
Association of British Bookmakers
"This has huge consequences for our communities, causing debt and misery for families, and often acting as a magnet for crime and anti-social behaviour.
"But currently, there is almost nothing that can be done to stop the spread of FOBTs.
"Laws passed restricting betting shops to a maximum of four of these betting machines has meant more betting shops in clusters sometimes open from 7.30am to 10pm at night.
"The time has come to give local communities the right to pull the plug on these machines - the right to decide if they want their high streets to be the place for high stakes, high speed, high cost gambling."
The Liberal Democrats voted to give councils the power to limit the number of betting shops in their area at their party conference in September.
'Playing politics'
A spokesman for the Association of British Bookmakers said that while it was possible to bet up to £100 a spin, "hardly anyone does" and the industry was committed to helping problem gamblers.
"This announcement has nothing to do with helping problem gamblers; it is simply about playing politics with the jobs of 40,000 people, and the enjoyment of eight million people for no reason," said the spokesman.
But former betting shop manager Adrian Parkinson, of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, welcomed Mr Miliband's announcement.
He said it was not just about curbing problem gambling as there was an equally big concern about the proliferation of bookmakers shops in deprived areas.
A string of local authorities have passed "symbolic" motions in recent months calling for FOBTs to be banned, he said.
He claimed the industry would be "dumfounded" by Mr Miliband's announcement as it believed it had escaped the threat of legislation
Ed Miliband has vowed to give councils the power to ban high stakes roulette machines from bookmakers' shops if Labour wins the next election.
Punters can bet up to £300 a minute on so-called Fixed Odds Betting Terminals.
Mr Miliband said they were "spreading like an epidemic" causing "debt and misery" and acting as a magnet for crime and anti-social behaviour.
He said Labour would amend planning and gambling laws so councils in England, Scotland and Wales could ban them.
He told BBC News fixed odds machines were "addictive for some people" and the gambling industry targeted poorer parts of the country.
"Somebody has got to step in and stand up to the betting industry," he added.
'Mini casinos'
There are over 33,000 FOBT machines making over £1.5bn each year for the big bookmakers - about half their annual profits.
Fixed-odds betting terminals were launched in 1999 after then chancellor Gordon Brown scrapped tax on individual bets in favour of taxing bookmakers' profits
High stakes casino-style gambling is banned from High Streets but FOBTs used remote servers so that the gaming was not taking place on the premises
After the 2005 Gambling Act, FOBTs were given legal backing and put under the same regulatory framework as fruit machines
They stopped using remote servers but stakes were limited to £100 and terminals to four per betting shop
According to the Gambling Commission there are 33,284 FOBTs across the UK
The average weekly profit per FOBT in was 2012 £825, up from £760 in 2011, according to the Gambling Commission
The number of betting shops in the UK has increased from 8,500 to 9,100 over the past two years, with hundreds more planned
Critics say the machines are highly addictive and lead to crime and poverty but the gambling industry says there is no hard evidence of this and have promised a new code of conduct to allow players to limit their own stakes.
The government has not ruled out taking action to cut the stakes and prizes on FOBT machines to make them less potentially addictive.
But it is awaiting the outcome of a study into how harmful the machines are to individual players, which is due to report next autumn.
It was changes to gambling legislation brought in by Labour that allowed bookmakers to start installing FOBT machines.
But Mr Miliband said the current limit of four per betting shop, had simply led to "clusters" of shops opening together, often operating from 7.30am to 10pm, with councils powerless to act.
Labour would legislate to put betting shops in a separate use class so that councils can use planning powers to control the number opening in their area - at the moment they are in the same class as banks.
The party would also review the number of high-speed, high-stakes FOBTs allowed on bookmakers' premises - including banning them altogether.
And it would take steps to make the machines less addictive by cutting time between plays, requiring pop-ups and breaks in play.
Fixed odds betting terminals in William Hill
Mr Miliband said: "In towns and cities across Britain today, you can see how the old bookies are being turned into mini-casinos.
"In the poorest areas, these are spreading like an epidemic along high streets with the pawn shops and pay day lenders that are becoming symbols of Britain's cost-of-living crisis."
'Pull the plug'
He added: "In Newham there are 87 betting shops with an estimated 348 machines and across the five Liverpool constituencies there are 153 betting shops with around 559 FOBTs.
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
This announcement has nothing to do with helping problem gamblers; it is simply about playing politics with the jobs of 40,000 people, and the enjoyment of eight million people for no reason”
End Quote
Association of British Bookmakers
"This has huge consequences for our communities, causing debt and misery for families, and often acting as a magnet for crime and anti-social behaviour.
"But currently, there is almost nothing that can be done to stop the spread of FOBTs.
"Laws passed restricting betting shops to a maximum of four of these betting machines has meant more betting shops in clusters sometimes open from 7.30am to 10pm at night.
"The time has come to give local communities the right to pull the plug on these machines - the right to decide if they want their high streets to be the place for high stakes, high speed, high cost gambling."
The Liberal Democrats voted to give councils the power to limit the number of betting shops in their area at their party conference in September.
'Playing politics'
A spokesman for the Association of British Bookmakers said that while it was possible to bet up to £100 a spin, "hardly anyone does" and the industry was committed to helping problem gamblers.
"This announcement has nothing to do with helping problem gamblers; it is simply about playing politics with the jobs of 40,000 people, and the enjoyment of eight million people for no reason," said the spokesman.
But former betting shop manager Adrian Parkinson, of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, welcomed Mr Miliband's announcement.
He said it was not just about curbing problem gambling as there was an equally big concern about the proliferation of bookmakers shops in deprived areas.
A string of local authorities have passed "symbolic" motions in recent months calling for FOBTs to be banned, he said.
He claimed the industry would be "dumfounded" by Mr Miliband's announcement as it believed it had escaped the threat of legislation
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' while it was possible to bet up to £100 a spin, "hardly anyone does"'
Why not reduce it to £2 a spin then if no one really needs the big stakes?
Why not reduce it to £2 a spin then if no one really needs the big stakes?
it is simply about playing politics with the jobs of 40,000 people
40,000 people will not lose there jobs , and no more than 20-25% at most , of betting shops would close
the enjoyment of eight million people for no reason
ffs .
40,000 people will not lose there jobs , and no more than 20-25% at most , of betting shops would close
the enjoyment of eight million people for no reason
ffs .
did he address the question of why these constituencies full of mugs vote labour?
well done miliband
pointless keeping fuel prices down if they are sticking the money saved in the fobts
doubtless the bookies will be looking at ways of influencing local councils
pointless keeping fuel prices down if they are sticking the money saved in the fobts
doubtless the bookies will be looking at ways of influencing local councils
A desirable move if he goes through w/ it and the councils have the balls to ban the machines.
Bookies were once part of the community like pubs and hairdressers, offering a service to those who wanted a flutter. Then they started to be happy to turn the careful or sometimes just lucky punter away to trade on the incontinence of a few playing the FOBTs.
Bookies were once part of the community like pubs and hairdressers, offering a service to those who wanted a flutter. Then they started to be happy to turn the careful or sometimes just lucky punter away to trade on the incontinence of a few playing the FOBTs.
"This announcement has nothing to do with helping problem gamblers; it is simply about playing politics with the jobs of 40,000 people, and the enjoyment of eight million people for no reason,"
Complete crap, how many more betting shops have actually opened in the last two years solely for FOBOTS ?
Plenty & all that will happen is some of those may close, every time they seem to drag someone else out from the industry to say there is no problem with these machines, greed has taken over & profits are at an all time high, these companies are now are desperate to at least maintain their status quo
Complete crap, how many more betting shops have actually opened in the last two years solely for FOBOTS ?
Plenty & all that will happen is some of those may close, every time they seem to drag someone else out from the industry to say there is no problem with these machines, greed has taken over & profits are at an all time high, these companies are now are desperate to at least maintain their status quo
As if anywhere near 8 million people play FOBTs. There are some seriously made up numbers going on in discussions on this subject
very smart move from milliband
if he really believed what he said about these machines, he could look to amend the gambling bill to ban them, restrict the staking or further restrict the maximum number for a shop.
but no, in giving councils the decision he is appearing to do something, in the full knowledge that no council, particularly the poorer councils, are not going to put the shops out of business and lose the income from the rates.
if he really believed what he said about these machines, he could look to amend the gambling bill to ban them, restrict the staking or further restrict the maximum number for a shop.
but no, in giving councils the decision he is appearing to do something, in the full knowledge that no council, particularly the poorer councils, are not going to put the shops out of business and lose the income from the rates.
*in the full knowledge that no council, particularly the poorer councils, are going to put the shops out of business and lose the income from the rates.
Good idea but in know way will it encourage me to vote Labour.
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