Gambling fight to continue

OLDHAM Council is one of 93 local authorities refusing to accept a Government decision to reject their call for action on “the crack cocaine of gambling” taking over high streets.

The Local Government Association (LGA) is to challenge the decision on behalf of local authorities by resubmitting its call for the maximum stake to be cut from £100 to £2 per spin on high stake betting shop machines. The fixed odds betting terminals have become controversial as up to a third of users are claimed to be addicted.

A spokesperson for the Campaign for Fairer Gambling said: “The Government keeps pushing back against councils, who all want urgent action to deal with the scourge of these £100 a spin machines. Despite promising to take a “proper look” at them the government has blocked a review, said no to the 93 councils and handed Scotland very limited powers to deal with them.

“Scotland has said enough is enough and called for them to be banned and now councils in England and Wales are saying the same. It’s time to act.”

Resubmission will force the Government into a period of negotiation with the LGA at a time when councils are formulating their gambling policy for the next three years and want to curb the nearly 35,000 terminals already on high streets.