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The UK government has rejected efforts to reduce the maximum bet on fixed-odds betting terminals cut from £100 to £2.
Newham Council, which led the campaign, said the move would help prevent clusters of betting shops, particularly in deprived areas, according to the BBC.
But the government says it has already instituted strict controls for which most of the large bookmaking businesses have objected to…and with good reason.
Fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), on which customers can spend £100 a minute, accounted for 52 per cent of profits for the betting giants in the past year, new figures show.
The BBC noted on Thursday that there has been a significant rise in the amount of money gambled using FOBTs in recent years.
Between October 2013 and September 2014, £1.6bn was gambled using the machines, up from £1.3bn in 2010-11, according to the Gambling Commission.
The councils are expected to appeal the decision.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
