A report which main purpose was to show whether controversial fixed-odds betting machines led to more cases of problem gambling in UK, concluded: “There is no evidence in this study which suggests that FOBTs are closely associated with problem gambling.”
The report, compiled by the Association of British Bookmakers and jointly commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, comes at a time when the British Government is under pressure to address the issue of problem gambling.
In recent years, FOBTs have boosted the profits of traditional bookmakers, which have installed 15,000 machines in their shops.
It is estimated that about £290m a week is being wagered through them by British punters.
Calculators
