Christians oppose bigger prizes for gaming machines

Christians have voiced their opposition to Government proposals to double the stakes and prizes for fruit machines and even larger increases for 'crane-grab' machines.

The Church of England, Methodist Church, the Quakers, the Salvation Army and the Evangelical Alliance expressed their concerns in their response to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Second Consultation.

They oppose the raising of stake and prize limits on Category C fruit machines to £1 and £70 respectively, and on Category D ‘crane-grab’ machines to £1 and £50 respectively.

“We think that the proposals, taken together,” the MPA says in its response, “will probably have adverse consequences in terms of problem gambling and detrimental effects on the behaviour of minors (the latter particularly in view of the increases for Category D machines and Category C machines in pubs).”

The response continues: “We regret that the Government has retreated from its initial, better-founded conclusions on the subject in the face of lobbying from the industry.”

It argues that while, in the current recession, “it is tempting to justify socially harmful policies by pointing to their economic benefits, it is wrong that people who are liable to engage in problem gambling should be made to pay the price of protecting businesses from financial pressures."

The Government held a First Consultation in August 2008, in which it proposed smaller increases for Category C and D machines.