UK sets new gaming machine rules to reduce gambling harm

New rules target gaming machine design

The new standards are intended to strengthen consumer protection while also providing operators and licensees with additional information to identify potential signs of gambling harm.

Among the main changes, new category B gaming machines will have to provide consumers with improved access to gambling management tools. They will also need to display sessional information showing how long a customer has been playing and how much they have won or lost.

The same sessional information will be available to licensees. According to the Gambling Commission, this will support operators in meeting their regulatory obligations, including interacting with consumers who display signs of gambling-related harm.

Changes to responsible game design

The regulatory package also introduces changes to the design of gaming machine features.

Awards below the amount staked will no longer be allowed to be presented in a way that celebrates the outcome. The rules will also prohibit features that allow customers to reduce the time between initiating a play and knowing its result.

These measures form part of the Commission's broader approach to responsible game design and are intended to reduce features that could encourage continued or faster play.

Rules follow Gambling Act Review proposals

The new standards follow a consultation on proposals contained in the UK government's 2023 Gambling Act Review White Paper, High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age.

During the consultation, the Gambling Commission reviewed evidence submitted by stakeholders and adjusted some of the original proposals.

The regulator said the changes were made to address practical and technical considerations and to reduce the risk of unintended consequences arising from implementation.

Existing machines exempt from requirements

Existing gaming machines will not be required to comply with the new standards.

The Commission said applying the requirements to machines already in operation would involve complex technical modifications and significant costs for businesses, while the resulting consumer benefits would not necessarily be proportionate to those costs.

The regulator has also introduced measures intended to limit the risk of consumer and staff “alert fatigue” and to protect consumer privacy.

Gaming machine measures will be phased in

Implementation of the new requirements will take place in stages, with the majority of the changes scheduled to come into effect in June 2027.

The staged approach is intended to give manufacturers, operators and other affected businesses time to prepare for the technical and operational changes.

Helen Rhodes, Director of Major Policy Projects and Evaluation at the Gambling Commission, said the measures would give consumers greater control while reinforcing operators' responsibilities.

“These measures will help both to empower consumers to understand and manage their gambling and ensure operators play their part.”

Rhodes also said feedback received during the consultation influenced the final package, particularly where stakeholders presented evidence of legitimate concerns.

“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.”

Consultation shaped final regulatory package

The Commission said the consultation process involved a range of stakeholders and contributed to modifications of the original proposals.

The final standards therefore combine new consumer-facing information requirements with changes to gaming machine design, while excluding existing machines and introducing a phased implementation period.

The measures are part of the UK's wider reform programme following the Gambling Act Review and focus specifically on how gaming machines can provide consumers with greater visibility of their play and operators with additional tools to respond to potential gambling harm.