The former manager of an East Ham betting shop has backed plans to slash the maximum bet per spin on a Fixed Odds Betting Terminal to £2.
Ben White, who used to run one of the Paddy Power shops in Green Street, says Newham Council’s initiative to reduce the current £100 maximum would help stem gambling addiction.
“The machines cause massive deprivation and damage,” he said. “I have seen people in Newham lose homes, businesses and possessions because of gambling and it was horrible to see.”
Ben, who now works as a financial consultant, says he also believes that a reduction in the maximum bet would stop clustering of betting shops,
“If the council is successful, the shops couldn’t stay open - they wouldn’t be able to afford it,” he said.
“Sixty to 80 per cent of the profits come from the machines, and that income would be reduced.”
He urged councils to help make Newham council’s trailblazing idea into a reality.
The council hopes to canvas support from enough councils to lobby the government to take action nationwide using the Sustainble Communities Act.
More than 80 councils from across the country have already indicated initial support, including those as far away as Northumbria and Sunderland.
Read more:
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here