Labour says government clampdown on fixed odds terminals is “too little, too late”

Government action on these machines has been “too little, too late,” according to Labour politicians.

Despite Prime Minister, David Cameron, clamping down on fixed odds betting terminals, Labour campaigners have criticised him for doing “too little, too late”.

The Prime Minister has written a letter to the betting industry that declares his plan to put a cap of £250 on punters’ losses, as well as a thirty minutes time-limit on playing the fixed-odds betting terminals, which are known as the “crack cocaine of gambling”.

The machines offer a range of games, including roulette, and players can spend hundreds of pounds in a matter of minutes.

It has been reported by the Daily Mirror that, the bookmaker, Ladbrokes, took £1 billion from the machines in their stores in a single month.

MP for the British Labour Party, Clive Efford, said that the Government’s proposals were “the minimum that should be done”.

Mr Efford added: “This is too little, too late. It’s time for the Government to recognise the day of the fixed odds betting terminal are numbered.”

Figures from a leaked Ladbrokes memo also suggest that Cameron’s limits may be ineffective.

The memo outlined the company’s huge takings from machines, and also stated the average spend on the machines was £93, and only 8% of punters played on them for longer than half an hour.

Dirk Hansen, of the charity, GamCare, said: “The consequences of playing these machines is quite devastating. People can lose a lot of money very quickly.”

His claims were supported by Adrian Parkinson, of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, who said that the industry has its “entire commercial strategy” on these terminals.

“They are slashing managers’ pay with the incentive if they sell more revenue on fixed odds terminals, their hourly wage will increase,” he said.

Two Little Fleas reported last week that the machines may begin appearing in motorway service stations, which has infuriated campaigners.

One bookmaker in Birmingham dislikes the machines so much that he has called for them to be banned. Mr Simons, 53,  said: “They can kill. They’re as bad as the worst kind of drug.

“That’s why they’re called the crack ­cocaine of gambling. People who use them just can’t stop.”