UK cuts FOBT stakes to £2

From 1 April 2019 the UK cut the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) — the electronic roulette machines in betting shops — from £100 to just £2 per spin. Campaigners had branded the machines the 'crack cocaine of gambling' for enabling rapid, high-value losses. The government confirmed the date after initially floating October 2019.

FOBTs had generated a large share of bookmakers' shop revenue, and the stake cut prompted operators including William Hill and Betfred to announce hundreds of shop closures. The measure was implemented through regulations following a government review of gaming machines and social responsibility. The reform marked a decisive shift in UK policy toward harm reduction over industry revenue, and foreshadowed the broader Gambling Act review that would culminate in the 2023 White Paper.

It was a landmark harm-reduction intervention that reshaped the UK high-street betting sector and signalled a tougher regulatory era.