English MP pushes to fix a ceiling for FOBTs limit

Carolyn Harris, a member of the UK Parliament, has vowed that she would continue her fight to regulate the activities of fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs).

Her main demand is that  FOBTs a limit must be established for FOBTs. The government has agreed to reduce the maximum stake on FOBTs by 98 per cent from £100 to £2 over the next few years after a long crusade by anti-gambling groups. However, the MP is not satisfied as the change will come into effect only after 2020.

MP Carolyn Harris said that “getting the stake reduced seemed almost impossible in those early days (when she became an MP)” but said she was “delighted” when she heard about the stake reduction. “This will be life-changing, possibly even life-saving, for many gambling addicts up and down the country,” she added.

“Government ministers are saying they can reduce the stake only once they increase the duty on online gambling and that this could take up to two years. While I agree that online operators should be taxed more, this timescale is totally unacceptable,” Ms Harris said and added: “Myself and my colleagues from across the political spectrum have worked tirelessly to get this far (…) And we will not stop until the Government implements the changes they have promised.”

Source: FocusGamingNews