A BUDGET hike in gaming-machine duty is not enough to tackle problem gambling, says York Central MP Hugh Bayley.
Chancellor George Osborne has increased the tax on fixed-odds betting terminals from 20 to 25 per cent. Figures in January showed people in the York region were gambling more than £370 million a year on the instant betting machines, prompting Mr Bayley to call them the “crack cocaine of gambling.”
The Labour MP yesterday said he did not believe the tax increase was the answer.
He said: “It will just end up taking more money out of the pockets of compulsive gamblers.
“The answer is to give local authorities greater powers to turn down planning permission for so many betting shops on the high street and to reduce the amount you can bet on the machines. I personally would reduce it to £2 as a maximum stake.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here