Blitz on ‘crack cocaine’ betting machines set to be launched
by Claire Ellicott, Mailonline:
Ministers are planning a clampdown on ‘crack cocaine’ gambling machines after Chancellor Philip Hammond backed down over the issue.
Fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) have long caused concerns among campaigners including the Church of England over the ‘devastating’ effects they have on users.
But the issue has caused a split between the Treasury, which fears losing the tax takings from bookmakers’ profits, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Mr Hammond now appears to have backed down after he confirmed that a long-awaited review of the betting industry’s use of the machines will be published this autumn.
Players can gamble away up to £18,000 an hour on FOBTs. They can be highly addictive, which is why they are known as the ‘crack cocaine of the gambling world’.
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