A charity organisation has revealed that Walsall gamblers are worried about generating massive debts while playing on fixed-odds betting machines (FOBTs).
The licensing committee of Walsall Council has a scheduled meeting for January 23rd, at which it is expected to give the green light to a revised statement of principles related to the Gambling Act. Apart from the adoption of the statement of principle’s changes, the council members are also expected to agree to work in collaboration with some partners in order to raise the profiles of local charities which are focused on helping problem gamblers on their way to recovery.
As revealed by GamCare, the national charity organisation which offers help to people addicted to gambling and is aimed at raising the awareness of local communities of negative effects related to gambling, a total of 105 calls from Walsall residents were received in 2017/2018. According to the data provided by GamCare, the number of people who sought the charity for help increased by 11 in comparison to the ones a year earlier and included two people who had debts exceeding £20,000 each.
According to the information provided by the charity, the gambling activity causing the gambling addiction was primarily related to fixed-odds betting machines, followed by online roulette. A little less than 80% of the people received some form of treatment aimed at helping them deal with their compulsive gambling habits.
Problem Gamblers Reach Charity by Themselves to Seek Help
Barbara Watt, director of public health, has provided a report to the committee, explaining that the biggest cause for concern was the devastating impact which controversial FOBTs had on society. The machines, which have been a subject of debates and have caused a lot of controversy in the UK Government.
Ms Watt explained that according to data gathered for the 2017/2018, there were 105 people who reached GamCare, with the gamblers themselves calling the charity for help. She also provided details about the typical caller’s personality, saying that they are usually male, under 45 years of age and are not willing to specify the level of debt they had piled up. Ms Watt added that there were at least two individuals who had debts of more than £20,000 each.
As explained by Ms Watt, the reason why problem gamblers called charities for help was mostly the financial difficulties experienced by them, as well as the difficulties faced by them in other aspects of their professional or personal lives. She said that FOBTs were the main cause for GamCare’s concern, despite the recent decision of the UK Government that the maximum betting stake allowed at the machines will be reduced from £100 to £2.
As Casino Guardian has reported earlier, FOBTs have caused a lot of turmoil in the sector, with the initial Government’s decision to put off the implementation of the crackdown until October 2019 being vastly criticised. It even led to the resignation of Tracey Crouch, the former Minister of Sports and Civil Society. Eventually, the Government made a U-turn decision and announced that it would stick to its initial plans to roll out the stricter regime on the machines at the end of April 2019.
- Author
Daniel Williams
