Bookmakers come under friendly fire from Paddy Power Betfair chief

It has been another tumultuous week for the betting industry, which came under friendly fire from one of its own in Breon Corcoran and not so friendly fire from the Labour Party.

Corcoran, the outgoing chief executive of Paddy Power Betfair, dealt a blow to his fellow betting shop operators by supporting a major reduction in gaming machine stakes, calling for them to be reduced to £10 or less.

He wrote to Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport minister Tracey Crouch last week to say the subject had become "toxic" to the industry and that lack of decisive action would lead to continuing uncertainty for the sector.