Bookmakers Pull Brand-new Games After Gambling Commission Warning
Bookmakers pull brand-new video games after Gambling Commission warning
2 April 2019
Two leading UK bookies have actually pulled brand-new high stakes betting video games after a warning from the Gambling Commission.
Paddy Power and Betfred faced criticism their roulette-style video games weakened new guidelines on fixed-odds betting.
The optimum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals was today cut from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2, and the regulator cautioned versus any efforts to circumvent the guidelines.
Betfred stated it wanted more talks with the commission, while Paddy Power stated its game was just a limited trial.
The ₤ 2 cap on fixed-odds wagering terminals (FOBTs) was recommended by the Gambling Commission in March last year and is backed by the federal government as part of efforts to minimize gambling-related damage.
The Betfred video game involved 2 cyclists on a screen in stores racing on a velodrome track with numbers on it. When the bicyclist at the rear catches the one in front, the number they are on is the winning number.
The numbers are 1 to 36, matching those on a live roulette wheel, and other bets can be put on odd or perhaps numbers, colours, rows and columns. Customers might bet up to ₤ 500.
Paddy Power's game, with an optimum stake of ₤ 100 - the level before this week's FOBT rule-change - also involved banking on numbers between 1 and 36.
A Paddy Power spokesperson said: "This game was presented as part of a brief trial in a selection of shops. The trial was stopped within 24 hr of beginning and this product will not be released throughout our estate."
Act responsibly
Ahead of the commission's intervention, both firms drew fire from critics. Shadow culture minister Tom Watson explained them as "FOBTs through the back entrance".
Bookmakers pull brand-new video games after Gambling Commission warning
2 April 2019
Two leading UK bookies have actually pulled brand-new high stakes betting video games after a warning from the Gambling Commission.
Paddy Power and Betfred faced criticism their roulette-style video games weakened new guidelines on fixed-odds betting.
The optimum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals was today cut from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2, and the regulator cautioned versus any efforts to circumvent the guidelines.
Betfred stated it wanted more talks with the commission, while Paddy Power stated its game was just a limited trial.
The ₤ 2 cap on fixed-odds wagering terminals (FOBTs) was recommended by the Gambling Commission in March last year and is backed by the federal government as part of efforts to minimize gambling-related damage.
The Betfred video game involved 2 cyclists on a screen in stores racing on a velodrome track with numbers on it. When the bicyclist at the rear catches the one in front, the number they are on is the winning number.
The numbers are 1 to 36, matching those on a live roulette wheel, and other bets can be put on odd or perhaps numbers, colours, rows and columns. Customers might bet up to ₤ 500.
Paddy Power's game, with an optimum stake of ₤ 100 - the level before this week's FOBT rule-change - also involved banking on numbers between 1 and 36.
A Paddy Power spokesperson said: "This game was presented as part of a brief trial in a selection of shops. The trial was stopped within 24 hr of beginning and this product will not be released throughout our estate."
Act responsibly
Ahead of the commission's intervention, both firms drew fire from critics. Shadow culture minister Tom Watson explained them as "FOBTs through the back entrance".