Scots lost £158 million on casino-type fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT) in 2014, according to data from Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG).
The data from CFG also shows that a total of £3.4 billion was gambled on FOBT by 170,000 punters in 2014 and more than 37,000 of these lost a total of £63 million—an average of £1683 each.
“We are still seeing growth in FOBT revenue with £158 million snatched out of local Scottish economies last year,” said Campaign for Fairer Gambling Spokesman Adrian Parkinson. “But it is how sustained the losses are year on year that mask what is happening among users of FOBTs. Since 2008, over £8 billion has been lost on FOBTs, with Scotland contributing about £800 million of those losses.”
“The addictive nature of FOBTs and roulette in particular, combined with their high speed of play and £100 spin capacity means players incur huge losses very fast. Each year new players are introduced to FOBTs and replacing last year’s losers. Some players lose everything – their car, job, family and even their freedom,” Parkinson added.
FOBTs allow punters to bet £100 every 20 seconds but Leader of Scottish Labour Party Jim Murphy supported reducing the stakes to £2 per spin, saying that it’s completely unacceptable for the people to lose a full week’s wages on gambling.
“I want to see a change in the maximum stake,” Murphy said. “People betting a couple of pounds a time would be a lot more sensible, rather than blowing all they have in a gambling spree lasting a few minutes.”
Murphy became the latest politician to back CFG’s campaign to reduce FOBT stakes, following a similar move by Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles.
“Finally a political leader has taken the bull by the horns and has recognized the only effective way to protect communities from these machines is to cut the stake to £2 a spin,” said CFG spokesman Adrian Parkinson.
Meanwhile, bookmakers claimed that the fears about FOBTs have been exaggerated as recent research showed that only 3% of bets on FOBTs are for the maximum £100 stake.
“Seventy per cent gamble in Scotland and betting shop operators put responsible gambling at the heart of all we do. Gaming machine players now can set limits on the amount they spend or time they play for,” said Association of British Bookmakers spokesman Peter Caske. “We have increased responsible gambling messages on machines and stopped all advertising of them. We work closely with the government and Gambling Commission on responsible gambling measures, and will continue to do so.
