Australians are currently at odds over poker machine laws, as they struggle with whether or not they should submit to stricter rules. In the United Kingdom, certain cities have decided to ban the games altogether, as Liverpool has recently voted to prohibit bookmakers from hosting Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs).
The motion was tabled by Councillor Nick Small. Initially, he gave residents and local politicians the option of either backing a ban on gaming machines or voting to give councils more power over their stakes and prizes. Councillors unanimously voted to have the games banned from betting shops in Liverpool. Currently, FOBT players have the ability to wager up to £300 every minute for jackpots worth £500.
If a ban is not enacted in Liverpool, local councillors at least aim to change these limits in order to encourage more responsible gambling behaviour. "I commend the action of Liverpool council in demanding a ban,” says Derek Webb of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling.
“Betting shops are no longer about traditional race and sports betting, they are now driven by high-speed, high-stake, addictive gaming machines that should have no place on the high street”. If the legislation passes, FOBTs will be banned from betting shops in Liverpool. They will still be permitted in casinos across the city, in which strict gaming regulations ensure that players gamble responsibly.
City councils across the UK are considering a similar course of action. Ever since Ireland enacted a nation-wide ban on gaming machines in betting shops, local councillors have contemplated whether or not they too should ban these games. At the very least, some councillors hope to obtain greater power over the regulation of poker machines.
As such, politicians at a local level would be able to set stakes and prizes as well as place limits on the number of games that are permitted on each High Street.
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