Bookmakers Pull new Games After Gambling Commission Warning
Bookmakers pull brand-new video games after Gambling Commission cautioning
2 April 2019
Two leading UK bookies have pulled new high stakes betting games after a warning from the Gambling Commission.
Paddy Power and Betfred faced criticism their roulette-style games undermined new guidelines on fixed-odds wagering.
The optimum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals was this week cut from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2, and the regulator alerted versus any attempts to prevent the rules.
Betfred said it wanted more talks with the commission, while Paddy Power said its video game was only a minimal trial.
The ₤ 2 cap on fixed-odds wagering terminals (FOBTs) was suggested by the Gambling Commission in March last year and is backed by the federal government as part of efforts to minimize gambling-related harm.
The Betfred game involved two cyclists on a screen in stores racing on a velodrome track with numbers on it. When the cyclist at the rear catches the one in front, the number they are on is the winning number.
The numbers are 1 to 36, mirroring those on a roulette wheel, and other bets can be put on odd or perhaps numbers, colours, rows and columns. Customers might wager as much as ₤ 500.
Paddy Power's video game, with an optimum stake of ₤ 100 - the level before this week's FOBT rule-change - also involved betting on numbers in between 1 and 36.
A Paddy Power representative said: "This game was presented as part of a brief trial in a choice of shops. The trial was stopped within 24 hours of commencement and this product will not be introduced throughout our estate."
Act responsibly
Ahead of the commission's intervention, both companies drew fire from critics. Shadow culture minister Tom Watson described them as "FOBTs through the back door".
Bookmakers pull brand-new video games after Gambling Commission cautioning
2 April 2019
Two leading UK bookies have pulled new high stakes betting games after a warning from the Gambling Commission.
Paddy Power and Betfred faced criticism their roulette-style games undermined new guidelines on fixed-odds wagering.
The optimum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals was this week cut from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2, and the regulator alerted versus any attempts to prevent the rules.
Betfred said it wanted more talks with the commission, while Paddy Power said its video game was only a minimal trial.
The ₤ 2 cap on fixed-odds wagering terminals (FOBTs) was suggested by the Gambling Commission in March last year and is backed by the federal government as part of efforts to minimize gambling-related harm.
The Betfred game involved two cyclists on a screen in stores racing on a velodrome track with numbers on it. When the cyclist at the rear catches the one in front, the number they are on is the winning number.
The numbers are 1 to 36, mirroring those on a roulette wheel, and other bets can be put on odd or perhaps numbers, colours, rows and columns. Customers might wager as much as ₤ 500.
Paddy Power's video game, with an optimum stake of ₤ 100 - the level before this week's FOBT rule-change - also involved betting on numbers in between 1 and 36.
A Paddy Power representative said: "This game was presented as part of a brief trial in a choice of shops. The trial was stopped within 24 hours of commencement and this product will not be introduced throughout our estate."
Act responsibly
Ahead of the commission's intervention, both companies drew fire from critics. Shadow culture minister Tom Watson described them as "FOBTs through the back door".