Prime Minister Theresa May Makes Humiliating U-Turn on FOBT’s

Prime Minister Theresa May Makes Humiliating U-Turn on FOBT’s

In UK parliament today, in a humiliating U-turn, the Prime Minister has announced that she will compromise over Fixed Odds Betting Terminals. It’s taken a resignation from the minister for sport; Tracey Crouch and a letter backed by 12 Tory rebel MP’s for Mrs May to change her mind on the harmful betting machines…

…The announcement comes after pressure from Tory MP’s who backed an amendment to the budget, which has resulted in the cap on the betting terminals being implemented from April 2019, instead of October 2019…

…The embarrassing move will now see the Finance Bill amended – the bill which enacts the budget. When tuning in to Prime Ministers Questions, you rarely see the Conservatives rounding on each other – but you did today when the former Tory leader; Iain Duncan Smith pushed Theresa May to ditch the 6-month ‘delay’ in bringing the cap forward.

A Welcome Decision:

Tracey Crouch has welcomed the decision to bring forward the implementation date for the reduction in FOBT stakes, by posting a statement to her Twitter account. It reads;

“I am pleased that the common sense has prevailed. Dealing with the harms of Fixed Offs Betting Terminals by reducing the stake from £100 to £2 was not the only important recommendation of the Gambling Review published in May, but it was one which many people cared enormously about. The harm from these addictive machines is well publicised and I felt humbled to have met many brave people who over the 3-year review process came forward and told me their stories or those of their loved ones who had sadly taken their lives.”

She continued: “It was right for the government to take the decision to act and the impact assessment published alongside the Gambling Review made it clear that there was an expectation to implement the reduction in FOBT stakes within 9 to 12 months, with April 2019 being the most appropriate to tie in with the fiscal changes anywhere. The initial decision to delay the implementation until October 2019, nearly 18 months after the review was published, based on a KPMG report for the industry that was given a disclaimer by its own authors, discredited by some in the bookmaking industry and in fact did not get men6tioned in the Gambling Review, was not a policy I was able to defend, hence my resignation.”

“I am sorry that my views as the Minister in charge of the policy were not heard, but I am delighted that the collective voice of Parliamentarians, faith leader, victims of gambling addiction and their families, press and media commentators and many members of the public have been. This is the right and sensible on FOBTs and will, without doubt, reduce harm from these machines on our high streets. There is however, much more t be done on reducing gambling related harm online, dealing with advertising and supporting our treatment services which the Review makes various recommendations on and I look forward to watching it from afar their progress with interest.”

Tracey concluded; “In the meantime, I would like to thank everyone for their kind messages of support since my resignation. It has meant a lot.”

Author: Ava Jackuard

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