The retail betting industry operates some 4,809 terminals across the country. In recent years, they have become its greatest single source of revenue, accounting for some 50 percent of land-based profits. But critics believe the machines are too addictive, that their stakes are too high, and that they have a negative social impact on local communities.<\/p>\n
The bookies claim a cut to \u00a32 would result in 20,000 job losses and threaten half of the nation\u2019s bookmaking shops with closure, citing a report by KPMG, compiled on behalf of the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB).<\/p>\n
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But the bookies have refused to publish the full report, leading to accusations they are cherry-picking statistics to overstate the impact on their businesses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cQuoting selectively from the ABB report has led to the creation of a false market which is supported by the fact that the share prices of William Hill and Ladbrokes have recently been very volatile,\u201d the Campaign for Fairer Gambling says in its letter to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).<\/strong><\/p>\nKPMG Report Should be Published<\/strong><\/h2>\nCFG wants the FCA to order the betting industry to publish the full report and explain the \u201ccontrast between the best case and worst-case scenarios\u201d of the government\u2019s impending decision.<\/p>\n
Ladbrokes and William Hill declined to comment on the matter when contacted by the Financial Times<\/em> on Thursday, although William Hill stated that it had received no approach from the FCA. The ABB, however, called it \u201cyet another spurious claim by the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, in their ongoing campaign against betting shops.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cTheir accusations are baseless and will simply waste the time and resources of the FCA, which has far more important things to focus on.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The UK\u2019s financial regulator is examining a complaint by The Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG) which claims Ladbrokes and William Hill have create a \u201cfalse market\u201d through their pronouncements on proposed gambling reforms, the Financial Times reports. The anti-gambling pressure group believes that bookies have exaggerated the impact a drastic reduction on the maximum stakes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":73169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,10,61],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Financial Regulator Probes Ladbrokes and William Hill Over \u2018False Market\u2019<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n