MPs will be urged to back proposals to give local people the right to take control of the number of betting shops and FOBTS in their high streets, after a failure by Ministers to act.

Last month (December 2013) Ed Miliband announced that the next Labour Government will pass legislation on the issue. By contrast, the Government has voted against proposals to put betting shops into their own planning-use class.

Clive Efford MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Sport, commenting ahead of Wednesday’s Opposition Day debate, said:

“Across the country, traditional bookies are being turned into mini-casinos, where people can gamble up to £300-a-minute. The next Labour government will give powers to local communities to ban high stakes gambling machines from high streets.

“Over recent months, we’ve seen the Tories and Lib Dems posturing on fixed odds betting machines, but totally failing to act.

“This week, Labour is calling a vote in Parliament to give local people the power to pull the plug on these gambling machines. If the Tories and Lib Dems refuse to back Labour’s proposals they’ll have to answer why they are standing up for the large betting companies rather than communities across the country.”