The reduction to a £2 stake in fixed odds betting terminals in UK bookmakers’ shops may not be enough, warns the CEO of the country’s Gambling Commission.
Neil McArthur (pictured) has written to bookmakers to remind them of their responsibilities in ensuring that their customers are protected.
From today the maximum stake has dropped from £100 to £2, a move to ameliorate the damage from chancing large sums in a short playing period.
Said McArthur: “We have been closely monitoring operators’ plans to manage the implementation of the stake cut and we will continue to watch very carefully to ensure that any changes and developments to these products are done with a focus on customer safety.
“Together with government and the industry we must continue our ongoing work to make the whole industry safer - this includes continuing to make progress with making other products safer, as customers may move to gamble in other ways following the stake cut – including online, mobile and on the high street. It’s imperative that operators invest in and use data, technology and measures to identify harmful play and can step in to protect players when needed. They should be innovating to protect their customers, as much as they do to make a profit.”
He is reinforced by the relevant government minister, Jeremy Wright, secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, who said: “Reducing the potential loss per spin from £100 to £2 is a significant step forward in protecting vulnerable people. The government's actions and ambitions stretch much further and we are looking at further treatment of those who have suffered from gambling-related harm, whether gambling on credit should be limited and considering what actions are necessary to tackle problem gambling online."
The commission is closely monitoring player protection in other high street machines. It plans to track play, using time and monetary limits and alerts and communicating messages about gambling safety in other categories of machines. It is also tightening up rules on online gambling and in May new identity and age check rules will come into force to guard against the risk of children gambling, prevent them from playing free-to-play versions of gambling games on licensees’ website and increase the likelihood that someone will be identified if they attempt to gamble while self-excluded.
The commission is also looking at new areas for change, including banning the use of credit cards for online gambling, the introduction of industry-funded gambling blocking software and improving the ways in which operators interact with a customer who may be experiencing gambling-related harm.
