THE amount of money people can place on a single online slots bet will be restricted as part of a wider government overhaul to tackle gambling addiction.

A £5 per spin limit will apply to all adults aged 25 and over with a £2 per spin limit for 18 to 24-year-olds.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is also set to increase taxes on gambling companies to fund addiction treatment.

It said the measures would allow people to “gamble safely”, but the betting industry’s main lobby group said the government was “at risk of losing perspective”.

Addiction to online gambling slots has surged since the Covid pandemic, according to data from charity GamCare.

Of the 6,697 callers who disclosed a form of gambling to advisers on its National Gambling Helpline in 2023-2024, 45% mentioned problems with online slot games, jumping from 34% in 2020-2021.

Meanwhile, the NHS has said it is treating more people with gambling problems, with its latest figures showing referrals have more than doubled on the same period last year.

Gambling minister Fiona Twycross said the aim of introducing stake limits for online slots was “to protect those at risk, with a particular focus on young adults”.

“Gambling harm can ruin people’s finances, relationships, and ultimately lives,” Baroness Twycross added.

She said the government would introduce “the first legally mandated” tax on the betting industry to fund gambling addiction treatment.