A group of British MPs has been scolded by Standards Commissioner Kathryn Hudson for lack of transparency and other related issues found in a report on the highly controversial fixed-odds betting terminals.
The UK government is currently preparing a review of the country’s gambling industry that is particularly focused on the above-mentioned gaming machines. The results of the probe were expected to be published later this month. However, the calling of a snap general election on June 8 will delay the report’s publication by at least a month.
Back in January, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals (APPG) released its own report, urging a reform in the maximum stakes accepted by the controversial machines. At present, customers at betting shops can wager a maximum of £100 every 20 seconds. Under the cross-party MPs group’s recommendations, the Government should reduce the stake to £2.
The Association of British Bookmakers notified Standards Commissioner Kathryn Hudson that there were certain issues that needed to be paid attention to in the way the report had been compiled and presented.
Ms. Hudson has found that the FOBTs report had been prepared on behalf of land-based casinos, casino and other gaming machine manufacturers, and other related parties who would benefit greatly from a reduction in the maximum FOBTs stakes.
Legalized in the early 2000s, the controversial gaming terminals have been an indispensable part of the offering at betting shops. At present, there are tens of thousands of such machines in facilities across the UK. It is also important to note that a significant part of bookmakers’ retail revenue comes exactly from FOBTs. In other words, a more stringent reform would hit severely UK gambling operators.
Ms. Hudson has spotted four outright breaches of standards in the MPs’ report. The cross-party group has been criticized for failing to record meeting attendance or exact minutes. What is more, the report did not contain a disclaimer clarifying that it had not been an official publication by the House of Commons.
It also seems that there was no mention of the participation of public affairs consultancy Interel, which has been working with rivaling gambling sectors, in the preparation of the report. According to findings, Interel had offered free help to the paper’s compilers.
Although the Standards Commissioner has identified the four breaches, she has defined these as ones positioned “at the less serious end of the spectrum”. The APPG Chair, MP Carolyn Harris, has formally apologized for the violations and has promised that those will be revised and put right.
The Standards Commissioner’s decision was welcomed by Association of British Bookmakers Chief Executive Malcolm George. In Mr. George’s words, the APPG has been revealed as a group of “serial offenders” that has presented a misleading report on FOBTs.
The MPs group and British bookmakers have been locked in a war of words for several years now, the former speaking vocally against FOBTs and their addictive nature, the latter striving to prevent any considerable reduction in maximum amounts staked.
It is believed that such reduction will be implemented eventually. According to local media, maximum bets could be cut to around £10-£20.
