Gambling industry bets hung parliament will lead to tougher action … – Telegraph.co.uk

The UK's hung Parliament is more likely to mean an aggressive cut to the size of stakes allowed on gambling machines - a move that could hit revenues across the industry, experts have said.

Punters can bet up to 100 a time on fixed odds betting terminals, known as FOBTs, but MPs had been considering whether to reduce this level as part of a wider triennial review ofthe gambling industry by government.

The terminals havebeen dubbed the "crack cocaine"of the gambling industryand both Labour and the Liberal Democrats stated in their manifestos an intention to slash the size ofbet a gambler could make at one time on a FOBT to 2.

This level could see some of the UK's biggest bookmakers lose hundreds of millions in pounds of revenue on the changes, according to analysis from Barclays.

The Conservative Party did not state a preference for limiting the size of stakes on FOBTs, but the Democratic Unionist Party, upon which it must now depend for votes, has previously indicated its opposition to gambling terminals.

Analysts at Barclays said the make-up of the new Parliament meant the "probability of a maximum stakes being cut to 2 has increased", something likely to worry investors.

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Gambling industry bets hung parliament will lead to tougher action ... - Telegraph.co.uk