An alliance of nine UK Christian organisations is calling for the Government to heed evidence published on 30 March which further undermines proposals to double the stake and the prize money for pub gambling machines.

For the first time ever, they say, this proposal – considered this week by the House of Commons Delegated Legislative Committee – would increase the levels of prize money available to casual gamblers to above the level of some weekly benefits.

Their campaign, ‘Fruitless’, calls for the government to rethink the measures. The groups claim that the government is in danger of breaking its commitment to establish gambling policy on evidence and to use regulation to minimise problem gambling.

Fruitless is an alliance of nine UK Christian organisations including the Methodist Church, the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, Quaker Action on Alcohol and Drugs, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the United Reformed Church, the Evangelical Alliance, Christian Action Research and Education (CARE) and the Salvation Army.

• Full story at Ekklesia.

• Filed under Baptist, Church of Scotland, Methodist Church, Quakers, Salvation Army, Scottish Christian News Monitor.