The UK Gambling Commission has introduced new technical standards for gaming machines, requiring new category B machines to give players better access to gambling management tools and session data. The standards also ban features that celebrate returns equal to or below the stake size or allow players to speed up results. Most of the standards take effect on June 30, 2027, following consultations tied to the 2023 Gambling Act Review White Paper.
The UK Gambling Commission has introduced new gaming machine standards designed to make the vertical safer and fairer, GamblingNews reported. The changes follow consultations tied to the 2023 Gambling Act Review White Paper.
Under the new standards, category B gaming machines must give consumers better access to gambling management tools and session information showing how long they have been playing and how much they have won or lost.
Session information about players’ gambling will also be available to licensees, helping them meet regulatory obligations. According to the UKGC, the information will help operators interact with consumers displaying signs of gambling harm.
Changes to Win Celebrations and Game Speed
Another major change is that games will no longer be allowed to celebrate returns that are equal to or below the total stake gambled. At the same time, the UKGC will prohibit features that allow consumers to reduce the time until a result is known.
The changes follow a consultation on implementing white paper proposals and aligning Great Britain’s gaming machine regulations with the digital age.
The UKGC said the consultation process involved considering evidence submitted by stakeholders. The commission also adapted the original proposals where necessary to address practical and technical concerns and reduce the risk of unintended consequences.
New Standards Will Be Introduced in Stages
The new requirements primarily apply to new machines, with the commission concluding that retrofitting existing machines with technical changes of this magnitude would impose high costs without necessarily delivering proportionate consumer benefits.
Implementation will take place in stages. A new definition of a gaming machine “session” takes effect on March 30, 2027, while most of the new technical standards come into force on June 30, 2027. Staff-alert requirements will follow on Oct. 3, 2028.
Helen Rhodes, the UKGC’s director of major policy projects and evaluation, said the changes have been designed to empower consumers while ensuring operators play their part in reducing gambling harm.
Rhodes emphasized that the proposals were discussed with industry stakeholders and amended where legitimate, evidence-based concerns were raised.
“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,” Rhodes said.
