Suicide, crime and debt: One peer's attempt to fight against the 'crack-cocaine of gambling'
Fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) are electronic roulette machines where players can bet on a variety of different games. There is a maximum stake of £100 every 20 seconds, meaning £300 can be lost in a single minute – more than a week's wages for many.
The combination of high speed play and high maximum stake is toxic. Anna Henry, a clinical psychologist and ex-gambling addict has said the machines are "designed to foster addiction". She continued: "These machines isolate the player so there is nothing to distract them from that screen. Its speed is to encourage frenzy and thus more spending."
It's easy to see why the gambling industry is so keen on them. For companies such as William Hill and Ladbrokes, each machine rakes in £1,000 every single week. There are 9,000 machines in the UK....
