The managing director of one of Britain’s biggest bookies has supported a mandatory levy on his company’s profits to combat gambling addiction.
Betfred’s Mark Stebbings wants a tax to be applied to all betting firms, including the operators of the National Lottery.
He supported the move despite concerns a number of his outlets could close as a result of new rules to limit the amount gambling addicts can lose on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs).
A £2 maximum stake was introduced on FOBTs earlier this year after a Sunday Mail campaign highlighted serious concerns over the machines that let punters lose hundreds of pounds in just minutes.
In a letter to Scottish MP Ronnie Cowan, Stebbings said: “We were present at the Gambling Commission’s launch of their three-year strategy and we support the two strategic priority areas of Prevention and Education, and Treatment and Support.
“Although our company has gone through a seismic change with the reduction of the maximum stake on FOBTs to £2, and as I write this I’m not sure how many of our 1618 shops we will be operating in 12 months’ time, we have always supported the introduction of a mandatory levy which would include a donation of 0.1 per cent of gross gambling yield (GGY).”
Stebbings said his firm made clear to Government it would back a levy during a 2018 consultation but insisted it should be applied across the industry.
He added: “Our position then was that a mandatory levy should include all gambling industry operators, including the National Lottery.
“So to summarise, Betfred supports the introduction of a mandatory levy to fund education, research, treatment and support, relating to harm caused by gambling.”
Stebbings was responding to a letter from Cowan in which the Inverclyde MP challenged him and other bookies bosses to back a mandatory levy.
Cowan, the vice-chair of a cross-party group looking at gambling-related harm, has criticised the “woefully inadequate” amounts raised through a voluntary system.
He said: “As is evident from the response I received from Betfred, bookmakers are aware they have a responsibility to customers to ensure gambling-related harm is minimised and those at risk supported. I hope other operators will support a statutory levy.”
