Fobt £5 roulette system

Win £5 on Every Spin with the £5 a Spin System!

This is a fairly simple roulette system that tries to win £5 with every spin of the roulette wheel. The system requires you to have a £325 bankroll to start:

1. Cover 30 numbers with £25 in total (i.e. 6 half dozens with £5 each) Spin the wheel. If you win then you win £5. Keep going until you lose.
2. If you lose, then cover 30 numbers with £10 each. If you win then revert back to step one.
3. If you lose, then the system ends. You will lose eventually but you should have won enough to cover your losses by then!

Simple and Effective. You can use the £5 a spin roulette system either online or one FOBT roulette machines in the bookies.

FOBT machines

What are FOBT machines?

FOBT (Fixed Odds Betting Terminals) are computerised machines found in betting shops and some land-based casinos. They serve a vaariety of games with fixed odds outcomes. The most popular is FOBT roulette.

Who makes FOBT machines?

There are many makers of FOBT machines. The majority of machines in the UK are created by Inspired Gaming, Global Draw and Cyberview.

Where can I find FOBT machines?

The majority of UK bookmakers now have FOBT terminals on their premises. They were introduced in the UK in 2002 and their instant popularity led to a widespread growth in useage throughout Britain. Cyberview count,, amongst others, Boyle Sports, Coral, Ladbrokes, PaddyPower and William Hill as customers.

How much can I win on FOBT roulette?

The minimum bet for roulette games is 25p a spin and the maximum bet is £100. The maximum amount one can win on any given spin is £500.

How do FOBT machines work?

As is evident by the name, fixed-odds-betting-terminals offer games of fixed-odds. The result is determined by a random number generator. The money returned is based around the odds of this random number. All games, in a similar fashion to casinos, have a house edge. This is between 2.5% and 5% depending on the manufacturer.

Is FOBT roulette fixed?

Many roulette customers have complained about FOBT roulette being fixed. As with all players in the UK casino and gambling market, FOBT manufacturers are strictly regulated. More information about this regulation can be obtained from the Gambling Commission.

Can I beat FOBT roulette?

This is what this site is all about! Try Forcing the Zero, or play the dozens online roulette system!

Fobt roulette system

The System Explained

The roulette machines found in the bookies, and at online casinos, use a random number generator to pick the winning number. In many ways it can be argued that this is fairer than a true roulette wheel, as there can be no bias in a purely generated random number – but the prevalence at which the pattern above occurs gives us reason to be suspicious that the number is randomly generated.

The random programme installed into FOBT and online roulette machines has something called ‘number allocated occurrence probability’. This means that every number is given a 1-in-37 chance of being drawn (18 Red, 18 Black, and Zero). Unlike real table roulette in a casino where a number is never guaranteed to be drawn, computer generated roulette has to provide a balance of numbers ensuring over a large total of spins each number would have been drawn a similar amount of times (within a few percent), this few percent is called the ‘realistic waiver’ which is supposed to add realism to computer generated roulette.

How Does This Help?

Well firstly it ensures a fair number allocation and obviously if your chasing a set number you know it will eventually come in. However it may not come in for 70 – 80 spins but then you will find it may come in 2-3 times within 10 spins. This is not enough to invest money in chasing any predetermined numbers, but IT DOES allow us to profit from the FORCE THE ZERO system.

This system is very simple, bear in mind the above explanation of number allocations. If you place equal bets on Red and Black every spin you will never lose any money, except for when 0 is drawn. However we have discovered a unique factor. When you keep betting Red and Black you will keep winning on colour bets (even though you break even because you have bet on both Red and Black), but the computer registers a winning colour bet every time so therefore we have discovered that that the colour Green 0 starts to be drawn a lot more to combat the constant wins on Red and Black. Therefore bets on Green 0, Red and Black with a bet placement structure provide the basis of our system. This system has been tried and tested on numerous occasions on internet casino roulette and roulette betting terminals with fantastic results. The system also relies on target structure so that substantial profits can be made and continued.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP ONE – First 30 Spins

Place a £1 chip on red, £1 on black, and £2 on green 0.

The profit we are aiming for is £30-£50. If you hit 0 in the first 10 spins then you have your profit. Stop and change roulette terminal, or choose another online casino.

If you hit 0 within……the minimum profit is0 – 10 spins £50

0 – 20 spins £30

0 – 30 spins £10

If you fail to hit zero in 30 spins, then move on to Step 2. .

STEP TWO – Next 10 Spins

Place a £1 chip on red, £1 on black, and £3 on green 0

If you hit 0 within these 10 spins, the profit is £16. If you hit 0 twice then the minimum profit is £122.

If you hit 0, then stop and change FOBT terminal, or online casino.

If you still have not hit 0 then we expect, from the trials, that 0 will come up 2 or 3 times on average in the spins 30-60.

STEP THREE – Next 10 Spins

Between step three and six (spins 30-60), we are expecting the green 0 to come up again.

Place a £1 chip on red, £1 on black, and £4 on green 0

If you hit 0 then the minimum profit is £2. If you hit 0 twice then the minimum profit is £130.

STEP FOUR – Next 10 Spins

Place a £1 chip on red, £1 on black and £6 on green 0

If you hit 0 then the minimum profit is £42. If you hit 0 twice then the profit is a minimum of £172.

STEP FIVE – Next 10 Spins

Place a £1 chip on red, £1 on black and £8 on green 0

If you hit 0 then the minimum profit is £16. If you hit 0 twice then the minimum profit is £300.

STEP SIX – Next 10 Spins

Place a £1 chip on red, £1 on black, and increase £2 on green 0 for every 10 spins.

The Double Bet Fobt Roulette system

The Martingale System

The Martingale system is very easy to understand and follow. This is why it has become one of the most popular strategies used by players all over the globe. Watch out, it is a flawed system. But, I believe that with a few alterations the system can still be used to make consistent profits at the roulette table.

Rules

* Choose a colour (we’ll use red for the example) and place a £1 on it. Spin the wheel.
* If your bet loses then double your bet for the next spin (i.e. place £2 on red).
* If your bet loses again, then double up to £4
* If your bet loses, double up to £8

You probably understand by now. Keep doubling your stake if your bet loses. STOP as soon as you win. The amount won by doubling your stake completely offsets the loss of the previous bets.

Many of you will be thinking that this is great, and that you can’t lose! Well, this is true if two conditions are met. Firstly, you must have an unlimited bankroll. In theory any number of blacks may come out in a row – by doubling your stake each time starting from just $1, 15 losing bets in a row would require you to place a £32,768 stake on the next bet. Second, and related, the system requires the casino to not have a table limit on the size of the bet accepted. All casinos have this limit – and it is considerably smaller than £32,768!

Is it still worth using?
In my eyes, the martingale system can be used effectively as a staking plan in the short run. However, I use the following alterations as I find it more profitable.

* Don’t stick to one colour. If you are waiting for red and five blacks have come out in a row, then go for black! It has the same chance at coming out as red.
* Play European roulette, with a single 0, and not American roulette with the single zero and double zero spaces. You should always play European roulette for any system as the house edge is much lower.
* Play a short game. If you lose 5 in a row then stop betting and start again. It is not worth chasing with big stakes just to break even – if you hit the table limit then you are in trouble.

Trend Tracker Fobt Roulette system

The Trend Tracker Roulette System is a serious system that has been sold online for vast amounts of money! The goal is to win 20 units per day, and consistently rack up the money day by day. See below for step-by-step instructions;

1. Firstly you are going to buy in for 30 outside units (£5.00 chips) plus an
additional 20 inside units £1.00 each.

2. The goal is to get to +20 in any spin sequence and then leave the table.
So essentially, we are going to make a 40% return on our money EVERY
SINGLE TIME we play. However each session will be different in terms
of how many spins it will take us to get there (anywhere from 10 spins to
180 spins on average).

3. You will now wait for either 2 Blacks or 2 Reds to appear. Once this
occurs you will make a £15.00 bet (3 unit) on the Red and a $3.00
inside bet on the 0/00 split.

4. Whenever you are making a bet which is different than a 1 unit (£5.00)
bet on either Red or Black, your inside bet will always be 1/5th of the
outside bet. So if you are making a 3 unit bet (£15.00) on the outside bet
(Red/Black), then your inside bet is always 1/5th or in this case $3.00.

5. As 2 in a row is the START of the streak, and we don’t know how long it
will last, we are going to bet until the streak ENDS. This can be
anywhere from 1 bet to 25 bets.

6. If the bet wins we will continue to make additional bets until we lose a
bet, and then we will STOP outside betting while continuing to place a
minimum inside bet, and wait for 2 more in a row to occur However the
second bet (assuming we won the first one) will only be a 1 unit bet on
the outside (£5.00) and a £1.00 bet on the inside (0/00 split)

7. If that bet wins, our next bet will be 2 units (£10.00) on the outside and
a$2.00 inside 0/00 split bet. As the bets continue to win, we will continue
to increase our bets. Here is the winning increases: 3,1,2,2,3,3,4,2,3,3,3.

8. At any time we lose, we STOP and wait for 2 in a row to continue. So for
example if 2 Reds appear and we make a 3 unit bet and it loses, then we
STOP, and wait for 2 more either blacks or reds to start again with a 3
unit bet.

9. We are basically betting that the 2 in a row is going to become a 3 in a
row, and that the 3 will become a 4 and so on, until we lose. Then we
just stop and WAIT for 2 of Red or Black to appear again.

10. We always resume betting when 2 of something appears. Once that
happens our first bet is ALWAYS 3 units and our next bet win or lose is
ALWAYS 1 unit. Then depending on whether that bet wins or loses,
determines whether we stay in and keep betting or not. If it loses, we
ALWAYS stop, and wait for 2 in a row to occur. If it wins we progress
upward to a 2 unit bet, then another 2, 3,3,4,4,2,3,3, until a LOSS
FINALLY occurs. Once this happens again we will stop, and wait for 2
in a row and then place a 3 unit bet all over again.

11. Every time we increase our outside bet we increase our inside bet,
proportionately. So when we are making a 2 unit bet (£10.00) on the
outside the inside bet is $2.00 and so on.

12. However will ALWAYS have a 0/00 split bet out even when we are not
betting on the outside and waiting for 2 of something to appear.

13. Then we begin betting on both the outside and the inside.

14. When we lose 3- 3 unit bets in a row, which means that 3 2’s in a row
have chopped, we switch to betting with the 2 chopping until 3 in a row
appears, then we switch BACK to following the streak, and when it
eventually lose, we STOP and then wait for 2 in a row to occur, once
again.

15. Stop Wins occur once we hit +20. Once this happens you will continue
playing but instead of your first bet being 3 units, when you see 2 of
something you will only bet 2 units. If it loses or wins you will be 1 unit,
then back up to 2 if it wins or stay on 3 if it loses.

16. Once you incur 3 losses in a row, or your running total drops by a
maximum 5 units from +20(+15) you will exit the table.

17. Stop Losses are not required as you vary rarely experience a draw down
of more than –30 units before it turns around and eventually finishes at
+20. Sometimes this can take 100 or more spins to complete the winning
process.

18. You can take a break, if you like at any point and not adversely affect the
outcome for the day.

19. The goal is to earn +20 or more units per day, every day.

fobt is the acronym for fixed odds betting terminals

FOBT is the acronym for Fixed Odds Betting Terminals. These are electronic gambling machines, many of which incorporate touch screen technology. In the UK they are to be found in casinos and betting shops. First introduced in 2001 in licensed betting shops, they have been identified as an increasing source of addiction for gamblers. In 2007 was reported that 11.2% of gambling addicts had problems with FOBTs.

In 2009, Gamcare, a registered charity which provides support, information and advice to anyone suffering through a gambling problem, reported that the number of people seeking help for addiction to FOBTs is still increasing.

On FOBTs you can bet any amount from £1 to £100 and the machines can offer up to six types of games such as poker, blackjack, and the most popular of all, roulette. The game of roulette offers the speed of a fruit machine, but with higher payments and the fixed odds of the roulette table. No doubt many addicts thinking they can beat the machine by calculating the odds or next number due to come up.

Gamcare identify that an additional problem with the machines is that you do not receive cash immediately like a fruit machine. Instead you print out a ticket and have to take it to the betting shop counter to cash it in. Thus the gambler is tempted then to use the money to bet on a horse race.

Gamcare argue that with both machines and horse race betting in the one place, it is easier for the gambler to loose money. Boredom is often seen as one of the causes of gambling, and in the betting shop waiting for the next race, what easier way is there to fill in time than by using a FOBT?

Betting shops owners report that the machines are now an important source of revenue, especially for betting shops where poor weather can often mean that a day’s racing is cancelled. The return for one machine in a betting shop is between 2 and 3 percent. Owners of the machine have a social responsibility imposed under the Gambling Act 2005 and the Gambling Commission’s principal code of practice. More information on this can be found on the Gambling Commission website

Gambling addiction causes many financial and social problems. For advice on gambling problems contact Gamcare.

Gambling commision on fobts

Gambling Commission to look again at Fixed Odds Betting Terminals



On February 20 2008 the UK government announced that it had asked the Gambling Commission to report into whether gambling machines, such as fixed odds betting terminals, were contributing to problem gambling.

The British Gambling prevalance Survey 2007 found that "among those who had gambled in the past year, problem gambling prevalence ranged from 1.0% for the National Lottery Draw to 14.7% for spread betting. The next highest prevalence was 11.2% for fixed odds betting terminals, followed by betting exchanges (9.8%), online gambling (7.4%) and online betting (6.0%)."

When announcing its preliminary statement of results for the year ended 31 December 2007, LAdbrokes said that gaming machine gross win had increased by 21.0% to £248.4 million (2006: £205.3 million), with average weekly gaming machine gross win of £585, compared with £481 for 2006, an increase of 21.6%.

Ladbrokes said that all Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) within its estate had been upgraded to dual screen B2/ B3 gaming machines during Q1 2007 and Amusements With Prizes (AWPs) had been replaced with the same dual screen machines by October 2007. The company said that the new B3 content (£500 jackpots) now represents around 50% of all gaming machine transactions and that they had contributed to an increase in overall margin in 2007. Second half gaming machine gross win growth was 26.9% (H1 2007: 15.5%), including it said the benefit of extended opening hours from September.

When announcing its results for the 53 weeks ended 1 January 2008, William Hill said that the average number of gaming machines in the estate increased to 8,382 (2006: 8,218) in the period. The average net contribution per machine per week was £466 (2006: £433). Gross win from over the counter (OTC) increased by 3%, while machines gross win was up 15% (both excluding the 53rd week)

At the UK Tote, which is still up for sale, fixed odds betting terminals now account for 56% of turnover; with annual turnover now close to £1.4 billion.

"The tote is looking for further additional growth utilising a new generation of FOBTs, maximising machine density and capturing the best market share in areas with significant local competition."

In a House of Lords debate on gambling, on 11 October 2007, Lord James stated that the Government should adopt the recommendations of Lord Donoughue committee on gambling, and impose on the betting industry the restoration of the levy at a reasonable level. He said that they should immediately require offshore bookmakers to abandon advertising in Britain or to comply with the "usual regulations". And finally, he argued that the DCMS should revise all its controls on betting shops to stop them becoming mini-casinos. It is an outrageous state of affairs and needs immediate correction, he said." We publish his speech in full below - uncomfortable reading indeed for the bookmaker chappies.

"Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, I should declare interests in this. I have in the past run casinos, although not in this country, on behalf of a British bookmaker. Secondly, I was until recently executive chairman of the Jockey Club racecourses and was therefore responsible for the running of the races at Aintree, at Epsom for the Derby and at Cheltenham.

I welcome this initiative. A number of concerns have arisen as a result of the Gambling Act and they deserve close consideration. I have three principal concerns to raise with your Lordships. The first is, like the others, an unintended consequence of the Gambling Act. There is a rapid and tangible drift to the conversion by the bookmakers of the 10,000 or so betting shops into mini-casinos. That trend carries a real moral hazard, about which we should all be concerned. It is not so many weeks ago since we debated in this Chamber the issue of the super-casino for Manchester. Noble Lords will recall that we were concerned about the definition of a “destination casino” and the extent to which it represented a bigger hazard. However, the moral hazard presented by the spread of the virus of 10,000 immediately available local casinos to the midst of our local communities is immeasurable.

I do not suppose that a great many noble Lords are in the habit of visiting betting shops, so I shall take them on an imaginary tour of what is going on in them. Every casino is allowed to have four FOBTs—that is, fixed-odds betting terminals. Until eight days ago, they were confined principally to roulette, blackjack and stud poker, but they have now been expanded to include direct access to virtual reality racing, to which I shall return shortly.

The FOBTs are the subject of a series of control orders recently issued by the DCMS which I regard as a disastrous gathering of the inadequate and incompetent assessment of the controls to be imposed on the betting shops. They fail in almost every major respect to address the critical issues; for example, they open up the scope for immediate and repeated betting by touching one knob to repeat the bet that one has made previously. You can therefore bet virtually unlimited sums. You have to put real, folding money into the machine. It will then register you as having a number of stakes available according to the number of pounds that you have put in—you can diminish it to a fraction of a pound. You can then touch any number of numbers on the roulette keypad, so that you could bet, let us say, 20 separate numbers for £1 each. However, according to the control orders, which do not foresee that risk, you can press each number 10 times. So you could have £200 on a single spin and press one number to repeat that bet as many times as you had stakes left in the machine. There is no separation of your original stake from the winnings, and therefore no opportunity to remove your stake and bet just with the winnings.

The risk was summed up beautifully yesterday by a senior bookmaker who said to me, “Do you know, our betting shops are empty in the afternoon now; there’s nobody there”. “Why is that?”, I asked. He said, “Because our machines are so efficient that we have stripped all the money out by lunchtime and everybody’s had to go home. There’s no money left in anybody’s pocket”. Moral hazard is rampant there.

Virtually reality racing has concerned me for a huge time. For those who are unfamiliar with it, I say that it is a technique which has been developed by the bookmakers whereby they are able to represent with a computerised software programme an imaginary race run by images of horses, with jockeys on top. It is known in the business as cartoon racing. In theory, each of the 12 horses in a race has an identical chance, with odds of 11-1. However, the bookmakers want to encourage people to bet on them, so they put up on a separate screen the imaginary odds for three or four of the horses to imply that they are favoured. The Select Committee on Merits of Statutory Instruments, of which I am a member, asked the DCMS whether the odds were being in any way manipulated. We were told that they were not, that the bookmakers were at arm’s length from the software systems and that the software system was sacrosanct and never interfered with.

When we then asked why they were able to offer odds of 3-1 on a horse in a 12-horse field, the startling answer was that they were giving the chosen horses a 20 per cent loading of having a better chance. The bookmakers were thereby admitting that they were lying; they were intercepting the system. One would expect in those circumstances to see the incidence of winning favourites to match the 20 per cent or so which applies to live, breathing racehorses in proper races. In fact, it comes out at 16 per cent; that is, nearly four points below the average for living racehorses. It is even more remarkable that the clear favourite, if it is winning only 16 per cent of the races, is coming second in 17 or 18 per cent of them. God forbid that I should be accused of being a cynic, but if I were, I would say that the bookmakers are getting it both ways. They are encouraging bets to be laid and then avoiding the necessity of having to pay out on the horse that is the favourite because the software system is in some way stopping it winning. That is as much a corrupt process as slipping dope to a horse or getting a jockey to pull it. What on earth are the bookmakers doing? It is a question of integrity in racing, but one that comes from a different direction.

The bookmakers claim that because they now offer these wonderful betting methods, they should no longer contribute to the betting levy which has been the lifeblood of British horse racing and the thoroughbred racing industry. As a result, the industry is now bereft of £90 million. The Government should do three things immediately.

My Lords, I shall list those three things and finish. First, the Government should adopt the recommendations of the excellent committee of the noble Lord, Lord Donoughue, and impose on the betting industry the restoration of the levy at a reasonable level. Secondly, as the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, said, they should immediately require offshore bookmakers to abandon advertising in Britain or to comply with the usual regulations. Thirdly, the DCMS should revise all its controls on betting shops to stop them becoming mini-casinos. It is an outrageous state of affairs and needs immediate correction."

Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe told Reuters the government would take a tough stance if high-stakes video roulette and blackjack machines were found to be triggering problem gambling.

"I'm concerned about the longer-term impact of the growing popularity of FOBTs (fixed-odds betting terminals) and have asked the Gambling Commission to give particular priority to work on the risks associated with high-stakes machines.....We have always said if any evidence emerges that they (FOBTs) are causing harm, then we are prepared to take action and we have the power to take action."

The goverments stance on fobts

Fixed Odds Betting Machines

The Government today made clear its position on the increasing number of fixed odds betting machines being installed in betting shops. These machines can enable customers to play virtual casino games for prizes up to £50,000.

Richard Caborn, the Minister with responsibility for gambling, confirmed in a statement to Parliament the Government's plan is to introduce new legislation which will be drafted in such a way that these betting machines will be brought within the relevant controls for gaming machines.

The statement was made as the Gaming Board of Great Britain and the Association of British Bookmakers have agreed to the bringing of a test case to clarify the status of fixed odds betting machines under the existing law.

Commenting on the forthcoming case Richard Caborn said:

"While it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits or possible outcome of such legal proceedings we welcome any action which will bring certainty to this issue so far as the present law is concerned.

"We take the view that the uncontrolled proliferation of high-prize machine gaming on the high street risks seriously increasing problem gambling."

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The full text of the statement is set out below:

"The Government has noted with concern the increasing installation in licensed betting offices of machines, described as fixed odds betting machines, which enable customers to play virtual casino games for prizes up to £50,000.

"The present law allows only two gaming machines in any betting office, offering maximum prizes of £25. Under the Government's proposals for reform of the laws on gambling in Great Britain, published in A safe bet for success (Cm 5397), betting offices would be able to install up to four gaming machines with a maximum prize of £500. Cm 5397 also noted the appearance of betting machines, pointing out that they have many of the characteristics which justify controls over gaming machines.

"The Government understands that the Gaming Board for Great Britain and the Association of British Bookmakers have agreed to the bringing of a test case to clarify the status of fixed odds betting machines under the existing law. While it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits or possible outcome of such legal proceedings we welcome any action which will bring certainty to this issue so far as the present law is concerned.

"In order to make the position on future legislation clear for interested parties, I wish to confirm that the statement set out in 'A Safe Bet for Success' remains the Government's current policy. Therefore, our current plan is to introduce new legislation which will be drafted in such a way that those betting machines which in reality involve gaming will be brought within the relevant controls for gaming machines. We take the view that the uncontrolled proliferation of high-prize machine gaming on the high street risks seriously increasing problem gambling."

2. A Bill to modernise and reform the law on gambling in Great Britain is now in preparation. While of course no commitments as to timing can be given, it will be a possible candidate for inclusion in the 2003-04 Session

3. Machine gambling that involves virtual events generally falls within controls on gaming in other jurisdictions. The Bill will need to include a clear distinction between the use of machines in betting offices for gaming and other uses, including the more efficient placing of bets on horseracing and other sporting events

4. The statement does not directly affect the display in licensed betting offices of virtual races (such as Portman Park) on which bets may be taken at the counter.

Fobts a problem??

High-stakes gaming machines that were introduced in their thousands after a relaxation of the gambling laws are causing serious addiction problems, evidence from the first NHS gambling clinic suggests.

Almost two thirds of people admitted to the National Problem Gambling Clinic are suffering from habits exacerbated by games terminals found in all of Britain’s 8,500 betting shops, The Times has learnt.

An internal audit carried out by the clinic — offering the first robust clinical statistics on the triggers for problem gambling — reveals that more than 60 out of more than 100 people referred have addictions that are encouraged by fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs).

There are 27,000 of these terminals offering prizes of £500 for bets as low as 25p on games such as roulette, blackjack and virtual racing.
Related Links

* COMMENT: Government should take heed

* CASE STUDY: I lost £1,000 in 20 minutes

* Electronic gambling: you're odds-on to lose

Bookmakers installed thousands of fixed-odds terminals after Gordon Brown, when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, abolished the duty on individual bets in favour of a tax on bookmakers’ profits in 2001.

Responding to concerns about the terminals’ addictive format, which has been described as “the crack cocaine of gambling”, the Government agreed to draw up a code of practice limiting bookmakers to four machines per venue and a maximum £500 win. Critics said that the restriction did little to control a form of quick-fire betting on which users could lose £1,000 in less than half an hour.

The pioneering NHS gambling clinic, which opened in Soho ten weeks ago and is part of the the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, is the first free clinician-led treatment programme and has provided statistics on the types of problem gambling and their effects. It is hoped that the model, which has funding from the gambling industry, will be introduced around the country.

The Gambling Commission, the industry watchdog, recently concluded that there were between 250,000 and 300,000 problem gamblers in Britain — about 0.6 per cent of the adult population. Government studies of prevalence suggest that it has not increased over the past decade, despite the arrival of FOTBs and hundreds of online gaming websites.

Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a consultant psychiatrist who set up the gambling clinic, said that the evidence of habits emerging from the flood of referrals emphasised the importance of NHS involvement. Until now, gambling treatment has been offered by self-help groups, charities and private clinics that are beyond the limited budgets of most problem gamblers.

“We are building up the first proper evidence-based data set, which can show the triggers and levels of addiction, the spend, the frequency and the negative consequences,” she said, adding that she intended to publish a full audit of findings later in the year.

“We were not really prepared for the level of demand for the service,” she said, adding that the main cause of gambling problems appeared to be FOBTs, online sites and race betting. “A lot of people who start off betting on horses and dogs, and have started to develop a problem, have migrated to FOBTs and online sites. It’s the immediacy of the gratification, the cycle of excitement. It is the way the machine taps into the reward pathways of the brain. Games like roulette are what people are becoming really addicted to.

“I have people coming into my clinic who have not eaten properly for months. They are emaciated because they are on such tight food budgets because of their debts.”

Dr Bowden-Jones, who is to join a government gambling strategy board, said that most referrals — of which 60 per cent were self-referrals — were from men aged between 18 and 75, including many successful professionals. The clinic hopes to reach out to female gamblers, who were under-represented among referrals so far.

After an initial psychiatric assessment, people who come to the clinic sign up for nine weeks of one-to-one cognitive behavioural therapy. Neil Smith, a clinical psychologist, said that this concentrated on understanding behaviour triggers, developing strategies to counter temptation and controlling a person’s spending cycle.

A spokeswoman for GamCare, the industry-funded counselling service, said that betting on horses and dogs was still the main cause for concern but that FOBTs seemed to be particularly attractive to problem gamblers. “Certain measures could be taken such as limiting spendand interrupting play,” she said.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has asked the Gambling Commission to investigate the link between FOBTs and an increase in problem gamblers. The commission will submit its findings in the summer.

Russ Phillips, chief executive of the Association of British Bookmakers, welcomed NHS involvement in the sector. “It needs to take a bigger role,” he said. “But people must remember that problem gambling is not simple — it’s complex, with many factors involved. Even if you were to take drastic action \, how does that help the problem gambler? It may mean they just move elsewhere.”

DCMS spokesman said:

"Ministers have made it clear that they view with concern the growing popularity of these fixed odds machines offering high prizes.

“At our request, the Gambling Commission is making a high priority research to identify the risks these machines may pose in relation to problem gambling and they will provide an update and recommendations by this summer.

“The Gambling Act gave us tough new powers to ensure that young people and vulnerable people are protected more effectively than ever before - and if this detailed research confirms that these machines are a particular problem, we will not hesitate to use our powers under the Act to take further action.

fixed Odds Betting Terminals

News
Exploring Fixed Odds Betting Terminals

9 September 2004

In the last week Bookmakers have announced increased profits for the first half of this year. They attribute much of this increase to the rising popularity of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs). In light of this, and a steady growth in the number of callers to the GamCare Helpline and those attending for face to face counselling mentioning FOBTs as their primary form of gambling, we thought it timely to take a look at these relatively new machines and the way they appear to have changed the face of gambling on the high street.

These pages aim to explore the background of FOBTs, how they are regulated and how to stay safe if you use them. We hope you find this section of our website useful and using the form below we would welcome any feedback or comments you may have on the subject.

All gambling involves risks. With gambling we need to be responsible and know when to stop. If you feel you, or someone you know is having difficulty with gambling contact our confidential telephone helpline on 0845 6000 133.

What are FOBTs?
Introduced less than three years ago FOBTs offer the betting shop visitor a very new experience. These ‘touch-screen’ terminals, similar in look to quiz machines familiar in pubs and clubs, offer a number of games, roulette being the most popular. Never before has a machine in a betting shop offered the opportunity to play casino table games. With maximum prizes of £500 with each spin of the roulette wheel payouts far exceed that of traditional fruit machines. Many bookmakers claim that revenue generated from FOBTs now exceeds traditional over-the-counter gambling.

In March 2004 a Code of Practice was introduced by the Association of British Bookmakers governing the supply and use of FOBTs in licensed betting offices. Produced with the intention of being implemented alongside the Good Practice and Social Responsibility Code for Betting Offices agreed with GamCare, the code limits the number of terminals in any betting office to four machines. As well as limiting stake and payout amounts it regulates the time taken between each transaction or bet. The code also demands that every terminal has a ‘help’ page providing details of the GamCare helpline and that appropriate GamCare posters and leaflets should be visible.

The FOBT experience
As mentioned above, there are several fixed odds games available, but many machines are now limited to roulette, which is by far the most popular. The experience of playing an FOBT is a little like combining the experience of a fruit machine with traditional casino games, teaming the relatively rapid speed of play found on a fruit machine with the higher payouts and more flexible stakes of roulette.

Money is inserted either as notes or coins in the machine itself or using your debit card over the counter. Initial deposits could be over £100. To place a bet you choose the size of your initial stake and touch the screen on the relevant numbers or other selections (such as red/black or odd/even) to place the bet on the table. Once you have placed your bets you touch the screen again to set the roulette wheel spinning. Excitement and anticipation can build up as you wait for about 15 seconds for the wheel to spin and hope that it lands on your selection. One game can go pretty quickly so it’s always important to be aware of how much money you are spending.

One significant difference to fruit machines is that if you want to stop playing and cash in you do not collect money directly from the machine. Instead a ticket is printed displaying the remaining credit (plus or minus any winnings or losses), which you then take to the shop counter to exchange. It is possible that this increases the likelihood that you will gamble until all your money has been lost.

Use these links to learn about why we gamble, facts and figures and the impact of gambling addiction

Being responsible and staying safe when playing FOBTs
Remember! GamCare does not wish to restrict the choices or opportunities for anyone to operate, or take part in, gambling activities that are legally available in the UK. But, we ask that you keep the following simple messages in mind when you gamble. We want people to enjoy their recreation and spare time, but do not forget that being responsible is key to staying safe, out of trouble and making sure things remain fun.

>You’re buying fun, not investing your money

>Before playing, set strict limits on how much time and money you’re going to spend

>Quit while you’re ahead

>Only gamble with money you can afford to lose

>Don’t spend more money on gambling with the hope to win back money that you have lost

>Keep up other interests and hobbies - don’t let gambling take over your life

>Don’t gamble in order to escape from stress or boredom