21st January 2025
Summary:
The CSJ firmly believes that reducing the maximum stake size on FOBTs from £100 to £2 is absolutely essential for the protection of individuals and communities.
The measure would:
• Protect users, where previous government and ABB regulations have been unable to tackle the problem – the dangerous and grossly unique stake size of B2 machines;
• Mitigate the rising number of problem gamblers in the UK, which predictions indicate has increased by 300% in 8 years, alongside the rising number of FOBT users;
• Reverse the increase in violence and criminal acts related to FOBT use;
• Halt the detrimental spiral of serious personal debt that ruins lives and affects 2.6 million people in the UK;
• Reduce the social risk of high stakes gambling destroying poorer communities, families and children.
The CSJ strongly urges the Government to consider this proposal, which will help protect individuals from this high stakes and detrimental risk.
