Northern Ireland

Maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals 'should be cut' amid problem gambling fears

The maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals is to be reduced to £2 in April but the change will not apply to the north. Picture by Daniel Hambury, Press Association
The maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals is to be reduced to £2 in April but the change will not apply to the north. Picture by Daniel Hambury, Press Association The maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals is to be reduced to £2 in April but the change will not apply to the north. Picture by Daniel Hambury, Press Association

THE maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals should be cut in line with Britain, some Belfast councillors have argued.

Belfast City Council is to hold a debate on problem gambling at a meeting on Monday.

Fixed odds terminals, which allow users to bet on virtual games, have been described by some campaigners as highly addictive.

Although the British government has announced that the maximum stake on the terminals will be cut from £100 to £2 in April, the change will not apply to the north.

Fixed odds terminals were introduced in casinos and betting shops in 1999. Tens of thousands of the machines have been introduced since then and they are a major source of income for bookmakers.

Campaigners have argued that the machines allow players to lose money too quickly, leading to addiction issues.

A motion proposed by PUP councillor John Kyle, and seconded by SDLP councillor Donal Lyons, calls on the Department for Health and the Department for Communities to meet an all-party group of councillors to discuss improving support for problem gamblers.

The council motion notes that gambling addiction can cause "enormous damage" to players and their families.

"Despite this, support for individuals suffering from gambling addiction in Northern Ireland is almost non-existent," it said.

The motion highlighted that due to the impasse at Stormont no action can be taken to reduce the stakes on terminals in the north.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has announced it will voluntarily reduce the stakes on the machines to £2 in Northern Ireland - in line with Britain.

The council motion calls on other bookmakers to follow suit.

It also "calls on the Department of Health to review the support given to individuals suffering from gambling addiction and calls for the creation of a dedicated service to address this addiction".