Today the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced that the stake cut on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) would now happen by April 2019. However the stakes in Northern Ireland will remain at £100 unless further action is taken.

FOBTs have largely been ignored by policy-makers in Northern Ireland, operating in a legal grey area. Research has shown that they are found clustered in the most economically-deprived areas, having a significantly negative impact on local communities and on vulnerable people.

There are at least several hundred FOBTs are currently operating in Northern Ireland. An exact figure cannot be given as the Department for Communities does not record the number of gambling machines operating in Northern Ireland.

FOBTs - dubbed the ‘crack cocaine of gambling’ are highly addictive; gamblers can bet £100 every 20 seconds on the machines. FOBT’s have been linked closely to crippling debt, crime, mental health issues, marriage and family breakdown and in extreme cases – suicide.

Responding to today’s announcement, CARE in Northern Ireland Policy Officer Mark Baillie said:

“We are pleased to see the Government re-commit to its original timetable for slashing the stakes on FOBTs.

“The devastation that these machines have wrought are well-documented and any delay would have put more people at unnecessary risk.

“However it is untenable for Fixed Odds Betting Terminals to continue to operate in Northern Ireland at £100 per spin.

“Northern Ireland has the highest rate of problem gamblers in the UK, four times more than England does. Inaction on FOBTs is therefore not a viable option.

“This issue provides yet another example of why we need a devolved Assembly to return. Individuals vulnerable to problem gambling could potentially lose out because we do not have an Assembly.

“We call on all political parties in Northern Ireland to consider how this welcome change in Great Britain can be made to apply here.”

ENDS

Notes to the editor:

For more information please contact Rachael Adams on 020 7227 4731 / 07851 153693 or rachael.adams@care.org.uk

More information on the FOBT delay here:

The maximum stake cut from £100 to just £2 was announced in May 2018 by the DCMS.

The Treasury initially indicated it wanted the cut to happen by April 2020 because of concerns over lost tax revenues.

However, following pressure from MPs it seemed as if some arrangement had been struck to make sure the reduction happened by April 2019.

Then, in his recent Budget on October 29, the Chancellor said the cut would in fact take place in October 2019.

Despite the resignation of former Sports Minister Tracey Crouch, the Government refused to listen and was facing the prospect of being the first Government in 40 years to lose a Budget vote after amendments were tabled to the Finance Bill (No 3) which would have the effect of bringing the cut forward to April 2019.

The amendments were signed by nearly 90 MPs from all across the House of Commons, including former Cabinet ministers.

CARE’s work on gambling + FOBTs:

CARE for NI has been a leading voice in calling for change in gambling legislation in Northern Ireland, and has spoken out about the harmful effects of FOBTs on individuals and society.

Report shows Northern Ireland has more than Four Times as Many Problem Gamblers as England -Northern Ireland has a higher proportion of ‘problem gamblers’ than any other UK region, a new report has found. The 2016 Northern Ireland Gambling Prevalence Survey identified 2.3% of people as being problem gamblers in the UK; more than four times the figure for England, which stands at 0.5%.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2014/feb/28/gambling-betting-map-england-data

England's poorest bet £13bn on gambling machines - Amount gambled on high-speed machines in deprived boroughs is double that staked in richest areas, report claims

Research shows link between problem gambling and proliferation of betting shops with FOBTs

Wheel of Misfortune: the case for lowering the stakes on FOBTs – ResPublica and Fairer Gambling report, Oct 2017

CARE has spoken out about the damage of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals for many years and CARE’s Director of Parliamentary Affairs gave evidence at the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and called on the Government to reduce the stakes on the machines from £100 to £2 per spin.

CARE has previously helped facilitate events in Parliament where recovering problem gamblers have been able to relate to parliamentarians the devastating effects of gambling addictions on their lives and on the lives of their families.

CARE Polling on problem gambling in Britain:

Problem gambling is a huge concern in Britain today, with research showing that 14.5 million people – almost 10 per cent – of the population know someone personally with a gambling problem.

Research also shows that 63% per cent of people in Britain think that gambling is now a significant issue in Britain today.

66% of men (61% of men and women) are unhappy with the current arrangement in which the Government encourages the gambling industry to make voluntary contributions to help care for problem gamblers. 66% of men agreed in a ComRes poll that the level of industry contributions should be increased and that it should be made compulsory. The total value of such contributions last year was just £8 million – 0.06% of Gross Gambling Yield.

ComRes interviewed 2,036 GB adults online between 19th and 21st January 2018. Data were weighted to be representative of all British adults aged 18+ by age, gender, region and social grade. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

See details of the poll here: http://www.comresglobal.com/polls/care-gambling-research-january-2018/