William Hill Warns Prime Minister Over FOBTs Rule Change William Hill warns prime minister over FOBTs rule change 15 May 2018 ByDominic O'Connell Today Programme Business Correspondent The chairman of bookie William Hill has actually warned the prime minister his firm threats being purchased by a foreign rival if it is deteriorated by new betting guidelines. In a letter to Theresa May, Roger Devlin stated modifications to the quantity that can be banked on High Street betting machines might strike jobs and earnings. The federal government is anticipated to announce imminently a last choice on its evaluation fixed-odds wagering terminals. He proposed harder guidelines on adverts and a levy to help issue bettors. Currently, fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) enable gamers to stake approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds. An evaluation's interim findings suggested cutting the optimal stakes to ₤ 30, but there have actually been reports that the amount could be cut to just ₤ 2. Anti-gambling campaigners, who have called the fixed-odds machines the "crack cocaine" of gaming, support the move. Bookies, nevertheless, have warned that such a cut would lead to the closure of countless outlets, a big reduction in tax paid to the Treasury, and would have ripple effects on the horse racing industry. 'Catastrophic' Bookmakers support horse racing through a market levy and offering reward money. Mr Devlin's letter, first reported by Sky News and seen by the BBC, stated UK betting was "very well controlled". He wrote: "Sadly, I fear that your government is about to decide that is unneeded and lacking in evidence - a choice that will also be catastrophic for a retail betting industry employing over 40,000 people." "Consolidation within our sector continues and I would likewise not wish to see the impact of a disproportionate ...