FOBT APPG launches new inquiry to urge Government to immediately implement £2 stake.
Today (19 June) marks 603 days since the Government launched its call for evidence on the maximum stake on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals. Since that time, over £3 billion pounds have been lost on these machines, mostly by those least able to afford it, as shown on the FOBT loss tracker on the Group’s website.
To mark this milestone in the campaign, the FOBT APPG held its AGM in Portcullis House today, where Carolyn Harris MP was re-elected as Chair of the Group and Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, Ronnie Cowan MP and Lord Chadlington were also elected as Vice-Chairs of the Group.
During the meeting, the MPs welcomed the Government’s decision last month, to reduce the stake on FOBTs from £100 to £2. However, they also raised their concern about the delayed implementation and have called for the implementation of the reduced stake to be no later than 6 April 2018. The Group also announced that they will be holding a short and urgent inquiry looking into the need for implementation of the revised stake as soon as possible.
The Group will hear from key stakeholders and will produce a report which will be submitted to the Government ahead of the Budget in the Autumn.
Carolyn Harris MP said:
“I am delighted to have been re-elected Chair of the FOBT APPG. This is an issue that is close to my heart and one I am extremely passionate about to see through until the £2 stake is implemented. Along with my colleagues on the group, I was dismayed to hear the Treasury are looking to delay the stake reduction by 2 years. This is unacceptable. By then the industry would have made £4 billion off the back of the most vulnerable in our society. The APPG will continue campaigning ferociously to see that we protect those who most need our help as parliamentarians.”
Further information on the All Party Group can be found at www.fobt-appg.com
Notes to Editors
- The Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBT) All Party Parliamentary Group has been created to provide a forum for discussion and further investigation into the impact of FOBTs in our communities. This group, powered by the passion of the members in both houses of Parliament on this issue, allows a coordinated effort among politicians of all political parties, to come together to discuss how best to address the issues that FOBTs are causing to our communities.
- For more information, please contact Carolyn Harris MP, the Chair of the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals All Party Parliamentary Group or the secretariat for the Group: Tosin Adedayo tosin.adedayo@interelgroup.com T: 020 7592 3825
- The newly elected members of the Group are:
- Carolyn Harris MP – Chair
- Sir Peter Bottomley MP – Vice Chair
- Lord Chadlington – Vice Chair
- Ronnie Cowan MP – Vice Chair
- Iain Duncan Smith MP – Vice Chair
- Liz McInnes MP – Vice Chair
- Graham Jones MP – Vice Chair
- Stephen Timms MP – Vice Chair
- Gerald Jones MP – Treasurer
- Stuart McDonald MP – Secretary