The recommendation by the Gambling Commission to cut the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals from £100 to £30 is a “missed opportunity for more effective reform”, SNP MSP Stuart McMillan has said.
The current £100 maximum stake allows gamblers on the highly-addictive machines to lose up to £18,000 an hour, with FOBTs being described as the crack cocaine of gambling.
Mr McMillan has been a long-standing campaigner on the issue and supports the Fairer Gambling Campaign’s call for a maximum stake of £2.
Commenting, SNP MSP Stuart McMillan has said:
“FOBTs have been enormously destructive, with some gamblers losing a fortune after becoming addicted.
“The recommendation that the maximum stake should be cut is welcome as far as it goes – but a £30 maximum stake is still far too high.
“This is a missed opportunity for more effective reform, and I’ll continue to call for a more responsible maximum stake of £2 – which would recognise the enormous risk FOBTs pose to problem gamblers.”
