Gambling with lives: Fury as amusement arcades demand fixed odds terminals
The highly-addictive gambling machines allow bets of £100 every 20 seconds
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Highly-addictive gambling machines that allow bets of £100 every 20 seconds could spread to motorway services and amusement arcades.
That is the warning from outraged campaigners about fixed odds betting terminals.
Currently only allowed in betting shops, the machines are raking in cash at an alarming rate.
They have been linked to gambling addiction, misery and antisocial behaviour.
But in a dramatic U-turn, BACTA - the trade body representing parts of the gambling industry - is demanding that its members be allowed to operate the touch-screen roulette machines.
Adrian Parkinson, of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, said: "The addictive nature of FOBTs is what has made them so lucrative for betting shops. Now everyone else wants them.
"If the Government agrees to these demands we will see more FOBTs on high streets.
"Even more worryingly, they could be in unmanned gaming at arcades on motorway service stations, so they would be easily accessible to children."
The Mirror understands BACTA has written to MPs demanding that its adult-only gaming centres - including amusement arcades and bingo halls - are allowed to feature the fixed odds terminals, dubbed the crack cocaine of gambling.
It is estimated that this would result in an extra 6,300 of the machines in Britain.
Campaigners warn that pubs will soon be calling for the right to have the terminals.
Up until now, BACTA had fought against the growth of the FOBTs. Mr Parkinson said the group's U-turn can be blamed on the Government's failure to deal with the problem.
An internal BACTA memo seen by the Mirror says "it is fair and reasonable" that the machines should be available to play in many more places. But the group declined to comment yesterday.
A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: "The rules around where FOBTs can be based are very clear.
"And they will not be moving into other areas."
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