Liverpool Councillors have called for extremely addictive high-stake betting machines to be banned from betting shops in the city. Councillor Nick Small said that Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs), which include virtual versions of casino games like roulette, are the fastest way for gamblers to lose money. The machines allow people to bet up to £100 every 20 seconds, and city leaders have called on the Government to ban the machines or give local councils the power to implement restrictions. Councillors voted unanimously in favour of a motion tabled by Cllr Small on the matter. Cllr Small said: “People are spending money they can ill afford on these terminals”. He added: “There’s hundreds of betting shops in Liverpool and we just don’t have the power to control them. “Ultimately, we need power to reduce the speed of play and to bring down the maximum stake.

Pray: for a local councils to be given the power to control to restrict high-stake betting machines. (1Tim.6:9-10)

More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/liverpool-calls-for-ban-on-addictive-betting-machines/