British betting shops are poor relations of our own

Plan to dramatically cut stakes on machines is another nail in coffin

Saldier owner Rich Ricci

Bookmakers’ shares fell last month arising from a report that British culture secretary Matt Hancock was considering a cut to the maximum bet on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) from £100 to £2.

State interventions so dramatic are a rare thing indeed. There are roughly 9,000 betting shops in Britain and each shop has four FOBTs (read slot machines) generating weekly an average of just under £1,000 profit.

Certainly, shops will close if Hancock ...