Government goes all in – and now the reckoning begins

The wait is over. Matt Hancock has gone all in. FOBT maximum stakes are to be cut to £2 and now the reckoning can begin.

There is no doubt the government's move will protect some vulnerable people who find themselves gambling far more than they can afford on the machines.

Quite how effective this will be as a way of tackling problem gambling is hard to estimate, but this was always more of a political decision than part of a coherent, evidence-based strategy to address the issue.