ROULETTE machines in betting shops will only allow gamblers to stake a maximum of £2 after the Government announced plans to reduce the risk of “gambling-related harm”.

The Telegraph & Argus has campaigned for a change in the law to crack down on the number of bookmakers in the city centre since 2012.

Our Beat the Betting Blight campaign wanted gambling businesses to apply for a special licence or, at least, be subject to a special planning category that would give local authorities the power to refuse them due to the high number of betting shops in the city centre.

Yesterday’s announcement will see the amount people can stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) slashed to £2 instead of allowing people to bet up to £100 every 20 seconds.

Councillor Richard Dunbar (Lab, Thornton and Allerton), has campaigned for FOBTs to be banned.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted.

“It’s the news we have all wanted locally, regionally and nationally.

“It sends a very clear message to the gambling industry that the most vulnerable people in society who are affected by gambling can no longer be measured in pound signs.

“The next step has to be how we tackle problem gambling in its entirety.

“While there have been moves by Public Health England to tackle this, I would like to think the Government will give Public Health England funding to do that work.

“For too long we have had a business model from the gambling industry in relation to preying on the vulnerable. By reducing the stakes this is a clear rejection of the ideology.”

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The Government said the move will cut the risk of potentially large financial losses from the controversial machines as well as harm to both players and wider communities.

The decision goes further than the recommendations of a review carried out by the gambling regulator earlier this year, which recommended the maximum stake for FOBTs should be set at or below £30.

However, Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley, believes the Government has not made the right decision and more money should be put into helping gamblers recover from their addiction.

He said: “All the evidence shows problem gamblers don’t just bet on one product, they bet on six or seven.

“It’s like saying if you ban Bell’s whisky it will get rid of all alcoholism.

“If you’re going to lose money you are going to lose it.

“All this will do is limit how much money you can get your hands on.

“If you have a gambling addiction you need it treating.

“All that will happen is 20,000 working-class people will lose their jobs in betting shops.”