It has been announced on Tuesday that the maximum stake on fixed odds betting will be lowered from £100 ($133) down to between £50 ($66) and £2 ($2.65) in the UK.
The move by the government is designed to protect vulnerable gamblers, but it has also received criticism for not being drastic enough.
Problem gamblers say action must be taken - including, but not limited to, lessening the amount they can lose in one go on electronic casino machines.
Credit: PA
Advert
Gambling vlogger Andrew Margett told BBC Radio 5Live how the machines, also known as FOBTs, proved addictive. He said: "I was just, in a trance, in a complete bubble, playing it. Hitting the button, hitting the button, hitting the button.
"You're just unaware of anyone else and your surroundings - and bear in mind I had a three-week-old son. I couldn't give a monkey's about anyone else."
Former addict Jason Haddigan told the Victoria Derbyshire programme that he gambled away £300,000 ($397,497) on fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) between 2000 right up until he was banned from UK bookmakers in 2014.
Advert
"I was conning the bookmakers to fuel my addiction. That's why a crown court judge banned me for five years," he said.
Mr Haddigan claimed he had been gambling since the age of nine and that eventually the bookmakers had limited the amount he could put on horses and suggested that he used the machines instead.
"The bookmakers know that you've got no chance of winning on these FOBTs. This is why they're not accepting any bets on horses and dogs anymore," he said.
The move also aims to reduce the harm caused to the wider communities in which these machines are located - including the increased health costs associated with gambling addiction.
"It is vital that we strike the right balance between socially responsible growth and protecting the most vulnerable, including children, from gambling-related harm," said Gambling Minister Tracey Crouch.
"Given the strong evidence and public concerns about the risks of high stakes gaming machines on the high street, we are convinced of the need for action. That is why today we have set out a package of proposals to ensure all consumers and wider communities are protected," she added.
However, Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Tom Watson, called the new regulations "deeply disappointing".
"Ministers have squandered a real opportunity to curb highly addictive Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, which can cause real harm to individuals, their families and local communities. After months of delays they've simply decided to have another consultation," he said.
"And instead of taking firm measures on the proliferation of gambling advertising, on TV and online, the Government have again been found wanting."
Advert
Source: The Independent, BBC News
Featured Image Credit: PA