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FOB-Ts in British betting shops: Further analysis of machine data to examine the impact of the £50 Regulations

Author: D. Forrest & I. McHale Published: January 2017

Summary

This report from the Universities of Liverpool and Salford analyses the impact of new regulations that required players to register an account or obtain staff authorisation to stake over £50 on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in UK bookmakers.

Topics covered

  • changes in betting patterns and stake sizes after the £50 regulations
  • impact on session length, speed of play, and player losses
  • effectiveness of the regulations in reducing gambling-related harm

Key findings

The report found the £50 regulations successfully reduced high-stakes betting above £50, but players largely adapted by shifting to stakes just under £50.

While the regulations demonstrated that "nudge" policies can alter specific behaviours, players compensated in ways that likely maintained similar levels of gambling-related harm.

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