What is Fixed-odds betting terminal?
A fixed-odds betting terminal (FOBT) is an electronic gaming machine found in British betting shops, offering casino games such as roulette, whose maximum stake was cut from £100 to £2 in April 2019.
FOBTs, classified as B2 machines under the Gambling Act 2005, allowed stakes of up to £100 every 20 seconds on games such as roulette. They became a major source of bookmaker revenue and a focus of campaigns about gambling harm in deprived areas.
Following a government review, the maximum stake was reduced to £2 per spin on 1 April 2019, having initially been planned for October 2019. The change contributed to the closure of many betting shops.
The FOBT debate shaped later UK policy, including online slot stake limits introduced in 2025. The machines were often referred to by critics as the 'crack cocaine' of gambling, a phrase repeated widely in political debates. Bookmakers argued that the machines were an important part of their business model and that harm was better tackled through other measures.