Author Archives: Derek Webb

Derek Webb

Opinion: Urgent action is needed on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals

By Derek Webb | Sat 14th September 2013 - 2:02 pm

The Lib Dem message at conference this year is: “Stronger Economy, Fairer Society”. We wholly endorse this message, and our Campaign for Fairer Gambling is absolutely focused on this direction.

There must be sensible enforcement of sensible gambling regulation. The most addictive form of gambling is roulette machines in betting shops – Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, also known as FOBTs.

Because these machines are a very labour unintensive form of consumer spending, they result in a net loss of jobs in local communities and this has a negative impact on tax revenue generation.

In addition to the economic cost of FOBTs, there is the added social cost of FOBT addiction and each addict affects up to twelve others.

FOBTs expose inexperienced, young gamblers to a game that they will lose at several times faster than the real, casino variant.

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