Labour’s Jo Stevens delivered a ruthless burn to Theresa May during the first Prime Minister’s Questions of the new Parliament.
The Cardiff Central MP wants to see a crackdown on casino-like betting machines, on which tens of thousands of pounds are lost by gamblers every year.
She used the question as an opportunity to highlight Theresa May’s not-as-successful-as-she’d-hoped election campaign, telling the House: “I know the prime minister is well aware of the misery and suffering that is caused by reckless gambling, and following her own recent experience, and the turmoil it has caused to her friends and colleagues, will she now commit to legislating against fixed odds betting terminals, the cause of so much hardship in our communities?”
Social media was quick to award Stevens the PMQs Quote of the Day accolade.
In response, Theresa May said a consultation had been carried out into Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs), which include roulette wheels and simulated horse racing and have been likened to crack cocaine in terms of their addictiveness.
She added: “The Department for Culture, Media and Sport are considering it. We will announce a response to that consultation in due course.”
The Government has been under pressure to introduce restrictions on the content and operation of FOBT for many years, which critics say exacerbate problem gambling more than any other form of betting - and has been linked to gambling addiction, debt and money laundering.