Treasury decision to delay gambling reform

Local government leaders have said the Government’s decision to delay implementing a planned reduction in the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals is ‘extremely concerning’ as reported by LocalGov

The Government agreed in May to reduce the maximum permitted stake on FOBTs from £100 to £2, acting on the recommendations of the Gambling Commission. This was expected to take place in April next year.

However, the Treasury announced as part of the Autumn Budget that the implementation date would be delayed until October 2019 in order to help the gambling industry adjust to the change.

The delay is also expected to boost the Treasury’s revenues by £1.15bn.