UK newspaper criticised for FOBT reportage

Last week’s reportage in The Guardian newspaper on the Fixed Odds Betting Terminal furore in Britain has come in for some stern criticism from the Responsible Gaming Trust.

The article implied that British bookies were reluctant to provide an FOBT machine to the Trust for its research into the impact of the controversial machines.

In a sequel to the story, the Responsible Gambling Trust issued a statement signed off by CEO Marc Etches this week which criticised The Guardian for misrepresenting UK bookmakers’ willingness (or the lack thereof) to assist the RGT’s research.

Etches asserted that it was completely false to argue that bookmakers were deliberately frustrating his organisation’s research into the FOBT issue…and he added for good measure that the gambling industry was cooperating fully with the RGT, specifically 13 FOBT operators, including the UK’s five biggest betting groups.

In related news, The Guardian itself became actively involved in online sports betting following the launch of its white label website GoWager.co.uk, powered and managed by FSBTech, a provider founded by GameAccount co-founder Dave McDowell and chaired by internet gambling veteran Mark Blandford.

Licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, the site offers betting on tennis, football, boxing and racing at present, with plans for expansion which include a mobile offering.

After raising over GBP 2.5 million in new capital, FSBTech recently took Genting Alderney into online sports betting .