Bookies are ‘cheating’ new rules with roulette-style games
Betfred and Paddy Power launch new games as restrictions are introduced
Bookmakers have been accused of cheating on new rules after high-stakes roulette-style games were launched on the same day as restrictions on curbing fixed-odds betting terminals came into force.
A reduction in stakes for fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) from £100 to £2 was introduced yesterday, after campaigners warned that they were leading to huge losses for gamblers, many of them addicts.
The government has described FOBTs as a “social blight” and the industry regulator has warned bookmakers against trying to bypass the new law.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, The Guardian found that high street bookies Betfred and Paddy Power have launched new machines, which critics have described as “FOBTs by the back door”.
Betfred’s new game features a maximum stake of £500, five times what was possible on the FOBT games that are now banned. A spokesman for the company said: “These are not machine games but over-the-counter bets.”
Paddy Power’s new game features a maximum stake of £100, the same level as FOBTs before the new restrictions. William Hill is planning a similar product but has yet to launch it. The company said it “will only be launched after full engagement with the regulator”.
Sports Minister Mims Davies said the new restrictions were brought in “to protect vulnerable people from gambling-related harm”, adding that operators “should respect both the letter and the spirit of that change”.
She warned: “We are watching very closely to see how the industry reacts to this measure and will not hesitate to act if we see evidence of harm.”
Labour’s shadow culture minister, Tom Watson, said: “These new games seem like FOBTs by the back door and look like a pretty disgraceful example of bad faith by the bookmakers involved. They appear to be trying to cheat the system.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Is legalized betting hurting sports?
Today's Big Question A 'building avalanche of gambling scandals' threatens competition
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
The Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal is about more than bad bets
In The Spotlight The firestorm surrounding one of baseball's biggest stars threatens to upend a generational legacy and professional sports at large
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The sports betting epidemic: who picks up the tab?
Talking Point Rise in suicidal gamblers arriving at A&E with doctors highlighting an increase in addictive ‘in-play’ sports betting
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Mason Greenwood: footballer arrested on suspicion of rape and assault
Speed Read Man Utd confirm the striker will not train or play until further notice
By The Week Staff Published
-
Handball: swapping bikini bottoms for tight pants
Speed Read Women competitors will be required to ‘wear short tight pants with a close fit’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Cristiano Ronaldo’s second coming
Speed Read Last week, Manchester United re-signed the forward on a two-year deal thought to be worth more than £400,000 a week
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Bank holidays and boycotts: are MPs trying to jinx England?
Speed Read Declaring a bank holiday would be ‘tempting fate’, says Boris Johnson
By The Week Staff Published
-
Weightlifting: Olympic Games set for transgender first
Speed Read New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will make history at Tokyo 2020
By The Week Staff Published