Whenever government intervenes in business, there are usually unintended consequences. The government’s proposal to slash the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to as little as £2 could go down a similar path. Faced with the prospect of suddenly having thousands of unprofitable shops on their hands, the big bookies are investigating the possibility of converting some premises to adult gaming centres. The bookies are, understandably, being a little coy on the matter but a quick scan of the Gambling Commission’s website shows that Ladbrokes has an application for an adult gaming centre licence pending. The prospect of thousands more amusement arcades on our high streets was probably not one the government had envisaged.

Source: The Times March 02, 2018 00:00 UTC