Gambling machines in UK
Gambling machines

UK minister rejects calls for high street bans on criticized gambling machines citing “anecdotal evidence”.

During Thursday’s parliamentary debate the UK government refused to contemplate a ban on the placement of high-stakes gambling machines in betting shops, despite calls from critics to do so. Culture minister Hugh Robertson rejected to act upon what even some campaigners referred to as “anecdotal evidence” of the harm that these machines allegedly cause.

The casino-style machines in question can accept wagers of up to GBP 100, with payouts running up to GBP 500 if gamers manage to apply smart strategies. Campaigners insist that the rollout of these machines has been too quick, with no adequate attention being paid to their social and psychological impact.

“What we’ve seen here is what looks like an addictive product, a harmful product to the consumer, that’s been allowed to go onto the market without knowing how harmful that product is,” stated former gambling addict and Campaign for Fairer Gambling member Matthew Zarb-Cousin to casino gambling news.

The organization insists that high-stakes machines are too addictive to be allowed into betting shops and should be restricted to casinos. Those remaining in the shops should have a mandatory stake cap of two pounds.

Members of the opposition have also sided with the campaigners. Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins labeled fixed odds betting terminals “the crack cocaine of problem gambling”, demanding action from the government.

Culture minister Mr Robertson cited lack of evidence when rejecting these demands, noting that the Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) was already scrutinizing any possible connection between the use of these machines and gambling addiction including the problem Blackjack casino gambling. Many, however, question the objectivity of this recently formed independent organization, pointing to the numerous gambling industry representatives on its board of trustees.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes – also represented on RGT’s board – unsurprisingly claims that high-stakes machines do not constitute a problem, as the average spend on a gambling machine is under GBP 7 – less than the GBP 8.40 staked on the average betting slip.

Nevertheless, Mr Robertson expressed the government’s readiness to act, should future evidence support the necessity of restrictions. Considering that only last year the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee report recommended giving local authorities the power to remove limitations on the number of high-stakes machines per shop, the prospect of a crackdown looks rather unlikely.