Responding to today’s announcement by the Gambling Commission that they have recommended a £30 or lower stake for Fixed-Odds-Betting-Terminal’s, Liberal Democrat Culture Spokesperson in the House of Commons, Christine Jardine said:

“The Gambling Commission’s recommendation is simply not enough and we will be continuing to push the Government for a £2 limit to help protect people from damaging and costly addictions to these machines.

“Social responsibility should come before profit making from gambling and a limit of £30 will still leave people vulnerable to losing huge amounts of money that they cant afford.

“Even with the addition measures recommended the £30 limit would still leave these people vulnerable to losing huge amounts at such addictive machines.

“Additional measures, such as slower SPI, fewer machines and powers to local authorities to tackle ‘clustering’ of betting shops on our high streets will still, Liberal Democrats believe, be needed regardless of the minimum stake.”