fixed Odds Betting Terminals

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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