Across the United Kingdom, responsible gambling advocates have taken up a similar cause to the fight for pokie reform in Australia. Fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) are the British version of poker machines, and many residents want to see them removed from betting shops.
Recent reports indicate that spending on the machines has gotten somewhat out of hand, as punters are spending £46 billion ($82 billion AUD) on the games. According to The Daily Telegraph, there has been a 50% increase in spending on FOBTs over the course of the past four years. Betting shops, where these gaming machines are commonly located, earned £1.55 billion ($2.7 million AUD) from operating FOBTs.
Today, betting shops across the UK derive at least half of their revenue from gaming machines, a 16% increase since 2008. Over the same time period, the number of people who have excluded themselves from playing FOBTs nearly doubled from 11 424 to 22 485. Residents are concerned that the gaming machines are contributing to the rise in problem gambling rates as well as encouraging underage gambling.
Statistics from the Gambling Commission show that 600 000 underage individuals were stopped from playing pokies in 2012, marking a 600% increase. It highlights the concern that hundreds of thousands more young people were likely able to play FOBTs. This week, local politicians will vote on a new law that aims to reduce the potential harm of FOBTs.
UK lawmakers will decide whether or not changes will be made to the stakes and prizes offered by these games. It is hoped that the law will pass, as it will encourage players to gamble more responsibly when wagering on FOBTs. “The government has it in their power to act,” says MP Tom Watson. “We hope to persuade them this is now an urgent matter.”
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