New standards are set to be introduced by the Gambling Commission to make gaming machines fairer and safer for consumers, following a consultation implementing proposals from the 2023 Gambling Act Review White Paper, High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age.
Key Changes for New Gaming Machines
The updated requirements apply to new category B gaming machines and introduce several consumer protection measures:
- Improved Management Tools: Machines must provide consumers with better access to gambling management tools and sessional information detailing how long they have played and their total wins or losses.
- Regulatory Compliance: Sessional information will be made available to licensees to support them in meeting regulatory obligations, such as interacting with consumers displaying signs of gambling harm.
- Responsible Game Design: Improvements include ensuring awards below the stake size are not celebrated and prohibiting features that allow customers to reduce the time until a result is known.
Exemptions and Staged Implementation
During the consultation process, the Commission reviewed evidence and adjusted original proposals to account for technical considerations and reduce unintended consequences. Existing gaming machines are exempt from the new requirements due to complex technical changes and business costs that would not necessarily yield proportionate consumer benefits. Additionally, precautions have been taken to protect consumer privacy and minimize the risk of consumer and staff “alert fatigue”.
The changes will follow a staged implementation timeline, with the bulk of the measures coming into effect in June 2027.
Expert Perspective
Helen Rhodes, Director of Major Policy Projects and Evaluation, said:
“These measures will help both to empower consumers to understand and manage their gambling and ensure operators play their part. Consultation feedback from a range of stakeholders helped to inform our thinking and where there was legitimate and evidenced concern, we made changes. 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.”
