Putting Fairer Gambling on the agenda at Lib Dem conference
Derek Webb, the Founder of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling spoke alongside Paddy Ashdown and other senior Lib Dems at the Candidates’ Reception at Liberal Democrat conference.
He said he was proud to be able to sponsor the event (and the security lanyards all delegates wear at all times) and welcomed the opportunity to highlight the work of the Stop the FOBT campaign, which seeks to highlight the damage caused by fixed odds betting terminals in High Street betting shops.
He urged MPs, peers and delegates to take this issue seriously:
“Whether you love or hate gambling it is a consumer activity and needs consumer protection”
And added that fixed odds betting terminals were ‘the most addictive form of gambling’ and needed to be better regulated.
“We are campaigning for the reduction of the maximum stake from £100 per spin down to £2 per spin and the Government has the power to do this”
He also explained that as the campaign is now getting wider recognition after a Despatches programme exposing the links of some FOBT users to problem gambling and crime.
Mr Webb mentioned a gambling machine review from DCMS into betting shops which was set to report in late summer, and is now overdue. It will surely have a big impact on the campaign.
Paddy Ashdown said 'thank you to the
CFGfor sponsoring the event as he addressed candidates as Chair o'f the 2015 general election campaign team. Other MPs attending the event included Mike Thronton MP, Tessa Munt MP and Ian Swales MP. Other notable attendees at the event were Baroness Olly Grender and Catherine Bearder MEP.
There is also a relevant motion (F37, Tuesday 17th Sept at 5.20pm) being debated at Lib Dem conference on the planning classification of betting shops and the saturation of betting shops in some areas of high deprivation. The motion is being introduced by Don Foster MP, a minister within DCLG.
