AN MP has expressed concerns over the effects of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals on communities, following the release of new figures.

Hyndburn MP Graham Jones said new national figures clearly show that poorer communities spend a disproportionate amount on terminals, compared to well- off areas.

He said: “Fixed Odds Betting Terminals are making a disproportionate amount of money from poorer households in areas with high levels of deprivation.

“New evidence once again highlights that the government must urgently review maximum stakes, speed of play, and how we licence, and regulate, FOBTs.

“We also want to see local authorities given more power over the number of betting shops, and machines, on our high streets.

“The scrapping of the Gambling Prevalence Survey has made it difficult to track trends in problem gambling. The gambling industry must pay for an annual independent survey to monitor the impact of FOBTs, and gambling addiction, across the whole industry.”