An investigation, conducted by the BBC, alleges that high-street bookmakers are still showing undue regard for the issues surrounding problem gamblers and, in some cases, are offering incentives for addicts to keep playing FOBTs.
The subject of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals is still a divisive one. Bookmakers were incensed when the government opted to reduce the maximum stake on the betting shop cash cows to £2 from £100 – and apparently have been trying to find ways around the new limits ever since, including asking the government to delay implementation until 2020.
William Hill have been accused of trying to milk FOBT players of their money when an email to staff was intercepted in which the firm apparently instructed its employees to remind punters that they can still wager up to £100 and a BBC investigation has now revealed that some betting shop staff are being told to offer perks to gamblers to remain playing on the machines.
One former manager has alleged that he was told by his bosses to go and buy his shop’s biggest gamblers lunch to make sure they didn’t leave and there are rumours that office staff are being paid bonuses if financial targets on the machines are met. None of this is really in the spirit of social responsibility to which all bookmakers are supposed to adhere.
Coral are one of the bookmakers named in the investigation with several leaked emails suggesting staff should identify customers most likely to play on FOBTs and even go as far as offer them a free try-out to ‘whet their appetite’. Staff have revealed that they have little or no training when it comes to problem gamblers and can do little more than hand out leaflets. Coral have, of course, denied allegations that they don’t have the best interests of their customers at heart and insist the introduction of supervised stakes above £50 from April last year has had a profound change in customer behaviour. They also insist all staff are fully trained to identify and control problem gamblers. Unfortunately, it appears, that message may not be filtering through the ranks as it should.
