Known as the ‘crack cocaine of gambling’ fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT) allow players to bet up to £100 ever 20 seconds on virtual games of roulette and poker. Middlesbrough has 42 betting shops where such machines exist, with the average Middlesbrough FOBT user loosing £1371 a year.
This video shows 29 year old Middlesbrough resident and father, Michael O’Grady, telling Look North about the pain FOBTs have caused him and his family, as he starts to turn his life around.
A number of Labour MP’s have expressed concern about FOBTs including Tom Blenkinsop, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, and Tom Watson, Labour MP for West Bromwich East. Please support the campaign to tighten restrictions on high-street betting by clicking below to visit STOP FOBTs.
David Branson 