Online slots stake limits: the 2025 change players notice instantly

The Casinos Gaming Machines and Mandatory Conditions Regulations 2025: impact assessments RPC opinion green-rated

We will also work with the relevant trade bodies and operators to understand the feasibility of implementing voluntary test purchasing to help understand whether operators are abiding by this new restriction. For example, the information could be displayed to customers at regular intervals (such as every 5 minutes for a 30 second period) or be readily available to customers, at their discretion, no further than one button press away. However, we believe that a variant of this feature would help customers to keep a track of their play. They also argued that it is an invasion of a customer’s privacy and that many people would not be comfortable with other players knowing how much they have spent and how long they have played on a machine for. The split was mainly between non-industry and industry respondents, with industry opposing this proposal.

Processing of personal data will continue to be required in order to achieve compliance with a gambling licence. Where licensees have genuine well-founded concerns about GDPR, we are committed to working with industry to get the right outcome – one that safeguards personal data whilst also promoting the licensing objectives. GDPR should not be improperly used as an excuse to avoid taking steps which enable compliance with licence conditions, promote socially responsible gambling, and promote the licensing objectives. We take the view that GDPR is not intended to prevent operators from taking steps which are necessary in the public interest, or are necessary to comply with regulatory requirements under a gambling licence.

You may also contact them to seek independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing. If you believe that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator. If you’re unhappy with the way we have handled your personal data and want to make a complaint, please write to the department’s Data Protection Officer using the details above.

In addition to identifying a lawful basis for processing, operators will need to comply with other aspects of GDPR, such as any applicable requirements for transparency with data subjects, and safeguarding of personal data. If the decision making is based on the data subject’s explicit consent3. GDPR gives data subjects certain qualified rights in relation to their data, such as the “right to erasure” and “the right to prevent decisions being made solely based on the automated processing of data”.

Such measures balance sector growth with social responsibility, ensuring a sustainable industry future. He advocates modernizing operations by integrating sports betting and expanding electronic payments. Industry leaders and regulators have laid a roadmap for the UK casino sector’s future, emphasizing pivotal changes.

There was some concern that this would create a safety risk for customers using gaming machines in pubs as it would increase the potential for their PIN to be observed by other customers. In regards to the second objective, under Option 3, the evidence provided suggests that over time it is likely that many operators would reduce their offer of Category C and D cabinet gaming machines substantially and offer predominantly Category B cabinet gaming machines. As highlighted in Chapter 2 of the land-based gambling consultation, we are aware that Category B gaming machines on average result in greater customer losses per session than Category C and D gaming machines. “… for the purpose of calculating the Category B machine entitlement in gambling premises, gaming machines should only be counted if they can be played simultaneously by different players without physical hindrance.” (Gambling Commission, 2019 Of those who didn’t answer ‘I don’t know’, 80% of respondents favoured operating and premises licence fees being the same for Small 2005 Act casinos and 1968 Act casinos that elect to increase their gaming machine entitlement.

Under such circumstances, and given the relatively higher stakes and losses set out in the rationale for change, there is the potential for gambling-related harm to increase. Without any requirement in law for a balanced offer, it is possible that this option would result in Category B machines becoming the only product on offer. For example, a customer could stake 50p on these machines which is also below the maximum stake permitted on Category C machines. Multi-staking category B cabinets provide customers with the choice of staking at different levels and therefore below the maximum stake permitted.

Such checks include providing proof of income for large deposits, affordability checks and answering questionnaires about how gambling affects their daily life. To realize this, bookmakers are required to ensure that online wagering promotions are not aired to minors. The Committee of Advertising Practice, which is responsible for penning advertising codes in the UK, announced new rules aimed at protecting children under the age of 18 from content promoting gambling. By 2013, the UK media regulator Ofcom reported that this approach had led to a seven-fold increase in the number of gambling ads that were aired on the TV. According to The Guardian, the industry actively encourages VIPs to gamble more by providing them with free gifts. Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, pointed out in 2019 that the industry spends £1.5 billion a year on marketing but under £10 million to picking up the health consequences.

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Online slots stake limits: the 2025 change players notice instantly

In order to offer this, operators will be casinos not on gamestop required to hold relevant operating licences from the Gambling Commission. The white paper set out the intention for all casinos to be able to include a sportsbook as part of their product offering. A further advantage would be allowing operators to create an experience which competes with international gaming jurisdictions, and elevates the reputation of Britain as a gaming destination for international gaming tourists. For example, it may lead to increased popularity/GGY of casinos which could have knock-on benefits to surrounding businesses or other sectors which are closely interlinked with it, for example the food and beverage or advertising sectors.

• GambleAware is an independent charity and has had no industry trustees since October 2018 and the industry has no role in commissioning decisions.
• In line with our approach to voluntary limit setting, we do not propose that Category D machines will be required to have mandatory limits for time and monetary thresholds.
• Beside the main funding given to GambleAware, some other industry contributions under this licence condition go directly to other bodies which the Gambling Commission recognises as suitable recipients for the purposes of this licence requirement on operators.
• However, some betting shop operators were aligned with the non-industry responses and believed that the session time and net position should be displayed at all times.

The Gambling Act 2005 created a partnership between the Gambling Commission and 368 licensing authorities in England, Wales and Scotland for the regulation of land-based gambling. Please upload any further evidence or any other information that should be considered as part of this consultation relating to an age limit on ‘cash-out’ Category D slot-style machines. Do you think premises should adopt voluntary test purchasing as a way to monitor under-18s activity on Category D ‘cash-out’ slot-style machines? While under-18s may make up a small proportion of total players, there is evidence that they do play on these machines. Granular data is not available on how many of these are ‘cash-out’ slot-style machines, which are in scope of this measure.

Approximately 90% of UK current accounts from retail banks now offer opt-in gambling blocks which prevent card payments to gambling companies once activated. In March 2020, it became mandatory for licensed operators to sign up to GAMSTOP, the multi-operator self-exclusion scheme. For example, the option to set a deposit limit must be available to all customers from when they first open an account or deposit funds, and increasing a deposit limit must take at least 24 hours to come into effect.

Checks will happen in the background against information already available online, so those who are checked will not notice. Betting companies will be required to conduct seamless player protection checks on the highest spending gamblers to check they’re not incurring harmful losses. A new stake limit for online slots will be introduced with the default maximum stake of between £2 and £15 per spin, subject to consultation. The rate will be subject to further consultation, which will take into account factors such as business size, operating costs and problem gambling rates.

A more substantial role for the Commission in directly commissioning research to inform its regulatory role will also produce further progress in building the evidence base around gambling, supporting our understanding of gambling-related harms and ways to prevent them. Online members of BGC offered to pay 1% of GGY, matching the commitment of the four biggest operators in 2019, and land-based casinos to pay 0.4%. A licence condition requires operators to make an annual financial contribution to one or more organisations which deliver or support research into the prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms, harm prevention approaches, or treatment for those harmed by gambling. Increasing the amount of data that the Commission collects from operators will improve its capability to regulate the gambling industry in a modern way and will allow it to identify compliance issues at an earlier stage. Unlicensed sites can pose a variety of risks to customers, including allowing access to those who have self-excluded from gambling through GAMSTOP. The Commission will build on the expansion of datasets it collects from operators for regulatory purposes to develop a rich resource that will strengthen the evidence base on gambling and inform data-led regulatory action.

The same principle would apply for in-fill machines and tablets. By contrast, industry responses argued that Option 2 would be highly restrictive for many operators and would overall provide less commercial flexibility than is currently available under the 80/20 ratio. This is a necessary objective to help mitigate against gambling-related harm. Therefore it is likely that increases in Category B machines will lead to slight increases in sessions with greater losses. In considering gambling-related harm we were attuned to the various perspectives provided by respondents.

The precise impact of data sharing depends on the nature of the system introduced following the trials, but it is intended to benefit a minority of online gamblers at particular risk of harm. The current proposals apply only to the remote sector, but in due course we want to explore the use of frictionless financial risk checks where appropriate in land-based settings to benefit operators and help protect customers. We recognise this risk, the chilling effect which asking customers for bank documents can have, and that implementing a financial risk-based approach will come with costs to operators. Some operators have argued that financial risk checks based on self certification (where customers declare their financial circumstances) could be sufficient for the new more prescriptive framework, or at least serve until frictionless checks are developed.

The Casinos (Gaming Machines and Mandatory Conditions) Regulations 2025: impact assessments – RPC opinion (green-rated)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published its gambling white paper in April 2023, which set out the government’s plans for modernising the regulation of the gambling sector. If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, DCMS will take reasonable steps to let you know. Any changes to this privacy policy will apply to you and your data immediately.

Box 14: ADR and ombudsman schemes across sectors

So in common with the previous legislation, there has been a recognition that consent will not always be the appropriate basis for data processing. Consent is one way to comply with GDPR, but the new law provides five other ways of processing data that may be more appropriate than consent. The rules around consent only apply if a business is relying on consent as its basis to process personal data. One example of this is the myth that “data can only be processed if an organisation has explicit consent to do so”.

Particular concern was raised in some submissions to the call for evidence that free bets or other promotional offers might encourage harmful engagement with gambling both in the present, and following a period of abstinence, and this was reflected in some of the most robust evidence available. Online gambling operators, like many other technology firms, have developed sophisticated means of segmenting their audience and keeping key customers engaged. The same study found a similar but much less pronounced trend for other advertising (influencing 3% of the ‘non-problem/low-risk’ group versus 9% of the ‘moderate/problem’ group), indicating the particular risk posed by direct marketing to those who are experiencing harm from their gambling.

Ipsos MORI’s research on the impact of gambling marketing on children (aged 11 to 17) and young adults (aged 18 to 24) found that sport was one of the major channels through which children are likely to be exposed to such marketing. Children’s exposure to gambling marketing through sport sponsorship is identified as a particular area of concern in other research. Seeing sponsorships (15%) was less influential than having or hearing about a big win (28% and 27% respectively), or seeing advertising or direct marketing (both 19%) and similar to hearing about other people’s negative experiences with gambling (14%). The Gambling Commission’s consumer journey research calculated percentage impact scores (prevalence x encouragement) for different factors that affect gambling. Inclusion in the IGRG Code will help ensure all operators abide by the commitment as it has ordinary code status and compliance can be considered in regulatory action by the Gambling Commission.

They also said that there should not be a maximum transaction limit on Category D crane grab machines. For example, a person leaving a gaming machine to go to an ATM will be required to enter their PIN. It was also raised that these machines can be converted to adapt a card reader for contactless payment, but adding a chip and pin device for every transaction in most cases would either not be technically feasible or cost effective. Respondents from the pub sector also raised issues with verification for each transaction on Category D crane grab machines.

Additionally, the Commission’s research into why consumers gamble found that of the 14% of past month gamblers who reported binge gambling, 24% had done so on online slots — more than any other gambling activity, including online casino games (Figure 7 below). Some industry respondents viewed these as poorly targeted as they would apply to all consumers, including those not experiencing harm, so advocated for a greater emphasis on protections targeted towards individual accounts showing signs of risk. We therefore see merit in reducing the reliance on account-based harm reduction systems through universal measures to make the online gambling environment safer for all participants, with a particular focus on the products themselves and how they are designed. For operators, clearer obligations and greater confidence in the identity of the account user will support more effective prevention of harm, while closing off compliance risks around the prevention of illegal underage gambling and anti-money laundering due diligence.

We will also look at the legislative options and conditions under which licensed bingo premises might be permitted to offer side bets. Therefore, we will work with the Gambling Commission to develop specific consultation options for cashless payments, including the player protections that would be required before we remove the prohibition. However, in the light of the availability of remote gambling, the characteristics of a product and quality of monitoring have now assumed greater importance. This is due to a combination of common life stage factors including continuing brain development impacting impulsivity control, changing support networks, and common financial circumstances such as managing money for the first time. Self-reported gambling participation by 11 to 16-year-olds has fallen substantially over the last decade and most forms of gambling are already illegal for under 18s, but we will continue to strengthen protections.

Behavioural barriers and friction should only be used to keep customers safe rather than impede them from taking decisions. This is consistent with the Commission’s rules for clear and accessible terms and conditions and the regulator will monitor operators’ compliance in this area. It is important that customers are made aware of the circumstances in which such restrictions may be applied and provided with explanations where it does occur. Tools like deposit limits can help people gamble within their means, but may be underused and not widely optimised for harm prevention. We will also consult on measures to give greater protections for 18 to 24-year-olds who the evidence suggests may be a particularly vulnerable cohort.