'Gambling regulator didn't want £2 max fixed odds bet'

The chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on betting and gaming has told BBC Radio 5 Live the Gambling Commission didn’t want a maximum £2 betting stake on fixed-odds betting terminals, and had preferred a £30 limit instead.

Tory MP Philip Davies told Stephen Nolan the watchdog thought this would be sufficient to curb the harm caused by the machines.

The government has announced plans to cut the maximum stake to £2 - but has been criticised for the time taken to make the change.

The commission said its advice of a limit "at or below £30" was "based on the best available evidence and is focussed on reducing the risk of harm to consumers”.