I can't escape these machines': addicts tell of huge losses from slot gambling

"Sam Badcock was 23 when he lost 100 a birthday gift from his brother on a gambling machine. I sprinted back to my room, grabbed the rest of the money and sprinted back to that machine as fast as I could, he says. Back then, Sam was playing 100-a-spin fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), which offered digital roulette. Described as the crack cocaine of gambling, uproar about their addictive nature led to FOBTs being effectively banned in 2019."

"Sam migrated to the immersive graphics and catchy sound effects of 2-a-spin slot machines. Arcades featuring these machines have flourished on Britain's high streets, replacing their higher-stake FOBT cousins. There are now almost 30,000 such slot machines in Britain, packed into bingo venues and adult gaming centres (AGCs). The stakes may be lower but the opportunity to rack up huge losses remains: slot machines allow a spin every 1.5 seconds, meaning players can feed in hundreds of pounds an hour."

"The Guardian has documented how this explosion in slot machines has been fuelled by favourable planning and licensing laws, allowing AGCs to open disproportionately in the poorest areas, whether local people want them there or not. On Thursday, in response to mounting concern, the government announced plans to give local authorities more power to stop unwanted gambling premises opening. But, as addicts, shop workers and customers tell the Guardian, Pandora's box is already open."

A shift from high-stake FOBTs to low-stake, high-speed 2-a-spin slot machines has created widespread gambling harm. Nearly 30,000 slot machines now operate in bingo halls and adult gaming centres across Britain, enabling spins every 1.5 seconds and allowing players to lose hundreds of pounds per hour. Planning and licensing settings have allowed AGCs to concentrate in poorer neighbourhoods, increasing local exposure to harm. Personal accounts describe severe addiction and financial devastation, and the government has proposed giving local authorities more power to block unwanted gambling premises, though significant harms already exist.

Read at www.theguardian.com