The government is considering introducing tighter controls on the gambling machines that cost a Middlesbrough dad up to £250,000.
Minister for Gambling Tracey Crouch said the “call for evidence” will include an examination of fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs), which critics say are highly addictive.
The review will examine both maximum stakes and prizes and will also consider whether there is enough protection for children and vulnerable adults.
It will also look at the harm such machines can cause to the communities they are based in. According to the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), Middlesbrough has the second unhealthiest high street in the country, based on the number of outlets such as bookmakers, takeaways and tanning salons.
Two years ago Middlesbrough dad Michael O’Grady told the Evening Gazette how he had spent up to £250,000 on roulette machines.
Minister for Gambling Tracey Crouch said: “It is important that gambling regulations strike the right balance between allowing the industry to contribute to the economy and enable people to bet responsibly whilst ensuring consumers and communities are protected.
“This review will gather evidence to fully assess current rules and protocols in the gambling sector and to help inform the government to make decisions on any necessary amendments to gambling regulation.”
Opponents such as campaign group Stop The FOBTs say bookmakers make vast profits from the machines, with punters racking up losses sometimes totalling hundreds of pounds in just a few minutes.
It’s estimated that half of bookies’ profits come from the machines, with gamblers feeding up to £100 a time in the country’s 34,000 machines.
Earlier this year a BBC investigation claimed staff in betting shops have been encouraged to give regular customers perks such as drinks and free bets to persuade them to play for longer.
The RSPH is calling for the introduction of tougher planning controls and health warnings and wants to see the maximum stake slashed to £50.
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport Tom Watson would like to see the law go even further.
“All the available evidence suggests these machines are highly addictive,” he said. “That is why Labour wants to see the maximum stake reduce from £100 to £2.
“They can cause real and lasting damage to gamblers and they have become a huge problem for communities that are often struggling to cope with under-investment and high unemployment.”
Evidence-gathering for the probe will end on December 4, after which the government will decide what action to take.
In a separate move, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced it has begun a probe into betting companies using loopholes to overturn gamblers’ successful bets, following an approach from the Gambling Commission. It wants to hear evidence from online bookmakers and their customers.
The CMA’s senior director for consumer enforcement Nisha Arora said: “Gambling inevitably involves taking a risk, but it shouldn’t be a con. “We’re worried players are losing out because gambling sites are making it too difficult for them to understand the terms on which they’re playing, and may not be giving them a fair deal. We are now investigating to see whether firms are breaking the law.”
More than five million Britons are said to regularly use gambling sites.
