For immediate release:

RUTHERGLEN MSP WELCOMES UK GOVERNMENT FIXED-ODDS BETTING TERMINALS U-TURN

MSP Clare Haughey has welcomed the announcement that the UK Government is to bring forward a £2 cap on fixed-odds betting terminals from October 2019 to April next year.

As we reported on the 7th November, the UK Government was previously expected to bring forward the changes to reduce the maximum stake by April, however this was pushed back six months by the Chancellor in his Budget statement.

Tracey Crouch MP resigned as the UK Government’s sports minister on the 1st November due to her government’s delay, arguing in her resignation letter that there was “no reason why implementation cannot come in sooner than October”.

More than 100 MPs – including senior figures like Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and David Davis – supported Budget amendments designed to force the UK Government to bring forward the date of the stake reduction.

As a result, the UK Government has bowed to pressure and will introduce the £2 maximum bet next Spring – as originally planned.

Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey has welcomed the UK Government’s climbdown.

Commenting, the SNP MSP said:

“I wholeheartedly welcome the UK Government’s decision to ditch the delay, and bring forward a £2 cap on fixed-odds betting terminals to April 2019. This is a move which will save lives.

“Too much social harm has been caused by the machines whilst individuals have been plundered into huge financial difficulties because of them. Our gambling industry has a duty to be socially responsible, and this has certainly not been the case when they are allowing their customers to lose hundreds of pounds in minutes on the machines.

“I congratulate all campaigners and political parties who forced this U-turn, and thankfully our pressure has paid off.”

ENDS

Notes:

Further information on the U-turn can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46205812

Article cited: Rutherglen Reformer, 7th November 2018, page 24 – “Betting Delay Anger” by Niki Tennant

Below is a photograph of Clare Haughey MSP previously supporting the £2 stake.

Date published: 14th November 2018