Forum topic: Fixed-odd betting terminals: An open letter to David Burrowes MP

The news that during 2014 in Enfield alone over £16 million was lost by people "playing" fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) prompts me to restart this topic.

I was intending to reply to David Burrowes, but rather lost heart, as it has become clear that he is not prepared to take any action to curb these dreadful machines. In neither of his replies did he answer my direct question about whether he would campaign for a reduction in maximum stakes or a complete ban. Instead, he quibbled over his past record: the quotes from Hansard supposedly prove his determination to do something (the fact that he has consistently voted against any measures is presumably irrelevant).

In fact, David Burrowes' past record is a red herring as far as I'm concerned, because if I'd continued the dialogue I would have said that it was future actions that interest me, not the past. I was hoping that, as someone who advertises his religious beliefs, he might agree with me that profiting from such machines is an immoral way of earning money and hence illegitimate.

Anyway, this month has seen another blow to this campaign, when the government turned down a request from 93 local councils (31 from London) to reduce the maximum stake from £100 to £2. The request was made under the terms of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. The councils are clearly worried about the distress caused to their residents, but it seems that the government is satisfied with reassurances made by the gambling industry that they are looking after the interests of punters. Well they would say that, wouldn't they?

Incidentally, there's an official Parliamentary briefing paper about FOBTs .

Basil,

Gambling companies pay tax to the Exchequer on their earnings. That's all this Government (and the previous two: coalition and Labour) care about. All they are interested in is this transfer of monies from the poor and vulnerable to the rich.

David Burrowes can rattle on about his religious convictions (which from what I can see amount to discriminating against women and homosexuals) all he likes. At the end of the day he is a loyal and obedient Conservative minister.

Regards,

Andrew Nix