UK Politician to Push Lower FOBT Limits

This story was published more than 6 years ago.

Punters in the UK that bet at fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT) may have the limits that they can wager lowered if the country's Culture Minister has her way.

Currently, the machines allow punters to bet up to £100 every 20 seconds and have been derided by many as the "crack" of gambling. UK Culture Minister Tracey Couch is set to cut how much punters will be able to bet on the machines, although the amount that will be reduced is not known. The minister could reduce the limits to £50, £20, or even as low as £2.

If the limits are lowered, it may help protect punters from getting in over their heads, but the betting industry will likely fight, as there will be massive hits to revenues. It's thought that clamping down on betting limits could cost bookies hundreds of millions of pounds, while taxes paid could also take a massive dive.

Gambling addiction has been rampant in the United Kingdom, as the UK Gambling Commission has stated that there are more than two million citizens that are either addicted to gambling or at risk of becoming so. The regulator has also begun cracking down on underage gambling marketing, ordering that operators stop putting out ads that market games that would appeal to children.

We'll update this story as we get firm details on the crackdown.

About the author

Dustin Jermalowicz // News Editor
Dustin Jermalowicz
Dustin has a long-standing passion for gambling. He has been writing professionally on the subject and breaking industry news for Casino Listings since 2011. His favorite casino games include Blackjack, Poker, and Hi/Lo. A proud native of Detroit, Dustin currently lives in Michigan.
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bgsharpe
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31 October 2017 - 9:55am
#1

Well, that's another controversy matter and no doubt there will be "yes" and "no's" about it, but I think in general lowering the stakes is a right idea, in the end it's about 20 second frames! Whether that would leave to a dive in the companies revenues or even people loosing their jobs as a consequence of that is another theme but that what makes it difficult for the authorities to decide I think.

lvblck
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31 October 2017 - 11:06am
#2

The numbers they are showing for citizens who are addicted are quite crazy. Nevertheless, this decision will have it's fans and haters but luckily it doesn't affect me 🙂