Anti-FOBT campaigner joins Labour leader’s office
Matt Zarb-Cousin
| Campaign for Fairer Gambling
Matt Zarb-Cousin writes on his departure from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling.
I first met Derek Webb and his partner, Hannah O’Donnell, two years into my recovery from Fixed Odds Betting Terminal (FOBT) addiction. After hitting rock bottom aged 20 and subsequently undergoing therapy, I decided to immerse myself in politics to fill the time I used to spend gambling. This led to working for two Labour MPs in Parliament, and setting up the High Streets First campaign. I met with Derek after appearing on Dispatches, hoping that I might be able to add something to his Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG), which was seeking to reduce the maximum stake on FOBTs from £100 a spin to £2.
I have worked for Derek and alongside the exceptional Adrian Parkinson for almost four years. Adrian’s previous role was a betting industry regional machines manager, and without his expert knowledge and courage to turn whistle-blower on Panorama, we would not be where we are today. It has been an absolute privilege to work so closely with Derek and Adrian, and to have had the support of bcsAgency. Their event organisation and website development were integral to getting the Stop the FOBTs campaign off the ground.
I am very proud of the progress that has been made by CFG in the past four years. Whilst we have not yet achieved our objective of reducing the maximum stake, we have raised considerable awareness of the issue in the national and local press and broadcast media. This has led to 96 local authorities backing Newham Council’s proposal under the Sustainable Communities Act (SCA), calling on the government to reduce the maximum stake to £2 a spin. The Local Government Association are now in negotiations with government, which is obliged to “try to reach agreement” under the terms of the SCA.
81 per cent of MPs believe FOBTs have a negative impact on society, 72 per cent want tougher regulations on them, and 67 per cent think the £100 stake is too high. This is testament to CFG’s success in winning the argument. We await the, now overdue, triennial review of stakes and prizes, which will present an opportunity for government to reduce the maximum stake on FOBTs should they decide to listen to the majority of MPs in all parties and to public opinion.
However, I will not be with CFG when it achieves its objective as I have decided to return to politics as a media spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Derek, Hannah, Adrian and Murray Carmichael-Smith of bcsAgency. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with and learn from such talented people, and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved in getting this issue onto the agenda and keeping it there. The harm caused by FOBTs can no longer be swept under the carpet, and the government are now under immense pressure to take action. I wish you all the best for the future, but I know you will be successful.
Derek Webb, founder of CFG, adds: “When I first started the Campaign, I knew that enough evidence could be amassed to show that FOBTs were not reconcilable with the 2005 Gambling Act’s licensing objectives of fair and open gambling, preventing gambling’s association with crime and prevention of harm to the young and vulnerable. This therefore necessitates a reduction in the maximum stake under the precautionary principle, a power which Tessa Jowell, who legalised FOBTs, gifted to the DCMS minister and has since argued must now be enacted.
“Matt Zarb-Cousin joined as a consultant in 2012 and we projected that taking on the bookmakers would only take a couple of years. However, we did not envisage that the Campaign would also have to take on the vested establishment interests which have been listening to the bookmakers rather than accepting the validity of the robust independent evidence.
“Matt has played an irreplaceable, passionate, dedicated and intelligent role in helping the Stop the FOBTs campaign be generally recognised as the most effective single issue campaign. It is now absolutely clear that the campaign is winning the debate. With FOBTs now being addressed by a new All Party Parliamentary Group, stake reduction is only a matter of time. We all wish Matt a great future.”
