Labour turns guns on coalition gambling reforms with Commons vote

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/dec/03/labour-commons-vote-gambling-machines-fobt

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Labour will signal its hardening opposition to the "crack cocaine of gambling" – high-speed, high-stakes gambling machines – by forcing a vote in the commons on Wednesday and instructing MPs not to back the government's proposed changes to stakes and prizes as they do not include the betting shop terminals.

Fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs), which have been lightly regulated since they arrived in 2001, have been dubbed the "crack cocaine of gambling" because they allow punters to wager £100 a spin every 20 seconds. There are now 33,345 FOBTs in the UK – fuelling a boom in betting shops on Britain's high streets. Critics say they are highly addictive and lead to crime and poverty.

Although the prime minister told MPs in October that he wants "a fair and decent approach that prevents problem gambling", the government this week refused to curb these terminals when amending regulations. Instead Liberal Democracts and Tories voted in parliamentary committee to push through government's plans, with the Conservative culture minister Helen Grant saying "it is not clear at this stage that a reduction in stake would make the machines less of a risk to problem gamblers".

Graham Jones, Labour's whip, told the Guardian that Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, as well as chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and minister David Laws, have all been photographed at "Stop FOBT" campaigns, next to a sign which said: 'We're committing, are you?'.

He also pointed out that Don Foster, the Lib Dem chief whip, campaigned for stakes to be cut to £2 a spin – in line with bingo halls and casinos. Jones said: "There is a lack of consistency from the Lib Dems. The leadership oppose FOBTs in public but when it comes to doing something about them in parliament they are not serious."

Labour figures say that Guardian's revelations about drug dealers using the machines to launder money has pushed the issue into the political limelight, with commentators questioning if the next government U-turn would be over the issue of FOBTs.

Not only are FOBTs located in poorer parts of Britain, industry figures show since the recession began in 2008 the proportion of money taken in betting shops from these manchines has risen from 33.9% to 49.4%. Tom Watson, the former Labour party chair who has campaigned over the spread of FOBTs, said: "David Cameron has voiced his concern about the damaging affects of these high stake machines. MPs have the opportunity to send a clear signal that they expect ministers to take a precautionary approach by lowering the stake values from £100 to £2 on this category of machines."

"Concern was so great in Ireland that they banned FOBTs. We are not asking the government to go this far but it is not unreasonable for stakes to be considerably lower."

In response the Lib Dem culture, media and sport spokesperson, John Leech MP said: "We will not be lectured on fixed odds betting machines by Labour. It was Labour who introduced these highly damaging and addictive gaming machines that have wreaked so much damage to people's lives, in the face of Liberal Democrat warnings at the time.

"We are pleased that Labour has finally woken up to the damage that their policies have caused on deprived High Streets up and down the country. Liberal Democrats want to see councils given powers in the planning system to stop an explosion of bookmakers on the High Street and, in Government, we have frozen stakes and prizes on B2 machines while we wait for new research that can be used to set more sensible limits in the future."

A DCMS spokesperson said: "The government takes concerns about fixed odds betting terminals and their potential harm very seriously and we consider their future to be unresolved following our consultation. We are continuing to keep a close eye on the issue and have told the industry they need to develop tough measures to mitigate harm, provide evidence of how that is working and we will take action to protect people if it is needed."

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