Written by Iain Fenton.
Online slots comparison website, SlotsHawk is currently evaluating and predicting how the online gambling landscape in the United Kingdom will change under the new government.
The whole industry is in something of a limbo. Due to the multiple changes in government positions over the past decade or so, gambling reforms – which have been talked about for over a decade – have not yet fully transpired, despite the White Paper (released in 2023) which sets out the government’s plan for reform.
With a new and (hopefully) stable Labour government, however it is expected that they will go ahead with what is in the White Paper. Last week, Baroness Twycross was handed the gambling brief. She is one of a number of different politicians who has held this role recently and takes over from Stuart Andrew.
Jean Prince, editor in chief of SlotsHawk.com, told us that whilst he fully expects more restrictions to be recommended, he is of the opinion that a discussion from both sides is paramount:
“For anyone who is not aware, the United Kingdom has one of the strictest gambling markets in the entire world. Since the 2005 Gambling Act, all people and companies associated with gambling in the UK have been regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.
“The White Paper was a review of the 2005 Gambling Act and it outlines how the government will work with the UKGC to reform the legislation with the intention to ensure it has been brought up to date with the modern age of the internet.
“Gambling writer Jon Bryan wrote about the need to challenge affordability checks which are a major part of gambling reforms which we feel will have a detrimental effect on players.
“All policies have their unintentional consequences. The danger with ever tightening restrictions on what UK citizens can and can’t do is that gamblers who do want to spend more of their money gambling, may be forced to unlicensed sites which do not adhere to UKGC laws.”
If British punters do end up playing at unlicensed casinos, then the new regulations will do the opposite of what they intend and actually cause more harm than ever before.”
What is certain is that a cap on online slot machines of between £2 and £5 will go ahead in September. If the player is 25 or over, they will be limited to £5 per spin. For anyone under the age of 25, they will be limited to £2 per spin.