Senior Liberal Democrat John Leech MP has called on the Liberal Democrats to make a Manifesto commitment to reduce stakes and prizes on fixed odds betting terminals – or FOBTs.

Currently, the machines in betting shops capable of taking bets of up to £100 a spin. Recent research shows that 5.4m of bets (3%) were at the maximum £100. This rises after 10pm to 6%. The average bet was £14.08

Between 70-80 per cent of sessions resulted in an overall loss to the gambler, with an average loss of £7 per session.

John Leech, the Liberal Democrat Culture Spokesperson, who also serves on the influential DCMS Select committee, said today, “I don’t want to stop punters having a flutter, but there were 5.4million bets of £100 placed between Sept 13 and June 14, and one gambler lost over £13,000 in one session. To me that is a problem that needs tackling”

John added, “The Government should be tackling this now, and I would like to see the Lib Dems put a manifesto commitment in place to reduce stakes and prizes. Reducing the number of spins per minute, or reducing the stake, would help reduce these big losses.”