The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has introduced changes to machine rules in order to “make gaming machines fairer and safer for consumers”.
New Category B gaming machines must now “provide consumers with improved access to gambling management tools” as well as “sessional information detailing how long they have been playing for and how much they have won or lost”, while there will be improvements in responsible game design, such as “ensuring awards below the stake size are not celebrated”.
Other changes include “making changes to the gaming machine ‘session’ definition to ensure that breaks in play will not be inadvertently triggered prior to a game being played”, as well as “proceeding with a graduated approach to the length of breaks in play when limits are reached”.
These changes will affect in-shop gaming machines, not online slots available at casino sites.
Category B machines include fixed-odds betting terminals, fruit- or slot-style machines and casino machines, though the changes will not be implemented on existing Category B machines “due to the complex technical changes and costs to business that would not necessarily deliver proportionate consumer benefits”, said the UKGC report.
The majority of the changes will come into effect in June 2027.
“These measures will help both to empower consumers to understand and manage their gambling and ensure operators play their part,” said Helen Rhodes, Director of Major Policy Projects and Evaluation for the UKGC.
“Consultation feedback from a range of stakeholders helped to inform our thinking, and where there was legitimate and evidenced concern, we made changes,” she explained.
“We are confident that the consultation has led to a package of changes where the benefits to consumers are proportionate to the costs of implementation and that the staged timeline for implementation is reasonable and achievable,” she added.
