Gamblers to get warnings when they spend too much
Customers will get alerts when they are spending too much time or money on so-called “crack cocaine” betting terminals under a new code of conduct.
Gamblers playing gaming machines in betting shops will get a warning after 30 minutes or when they have spent £250 under a new code of conduct that comes into force today. It follows warnings that players could blow £100 every 20 seconds on new high-speed, high-stakes machines.
The Association of British Bookmakers said the code would help tackle problem gambling. It also allows gamblers to set limits on how much time and money they spend. Staff will be alerted when the limit is reached and the gaming machine will force a 30-second break in play. The ABB claims this is a world first.
Chief executive Dirk Vennix said the initiative “forms part of the industry’s ongoing, proactive efforts to be socially responsible, to tackle problem gambling and to ensure a duty of care towards every customer.”
‘Crack-cocaine’ gaming machines
Earlier this month, the Responsible Gaming Trust, a charity funded by bookmakers, announced a review into the spread of the so-called “crack cocaine” high-stakes betting terminals. The research will look into consumer behaviour and the risk of addiction, as well as examining whether gambling machines are more common in poorer areas.
David Cameron has called the issue a “problem that needs looking at” but has ruled out allowing councils the right to ban the fixed-odds terminals. A recent study by the Gambling Commission showed that there were more than 33,000 in the UK making over £1.5bn for bookies every year.
The ABB says the technology to enable the new measures is being put into in every machine across England and Wales but that testing and installation requirements mean they will take up to six months to introduce.
‘Greater protection for players’
The measures have been welcomed by the gambling advice service GamCare. Its chief executive Dirk Hansen said that it would offer “greater protections for players, encouraging responsible play,” and added that it would raise “awareness amongst betting shop customers about the help that is available for problem gambling.”
The government minister in charge of gambling, Helen Grant, called the new code a positive step but said more could be done. “We want there to be a competitive gambling sector but not at the expense of public protection.”