The UK gambling industry will have to make changes in the way slot machines work on their websites following an announcement from the Government on Tuesday, February 2nd.
The features getting the chop will slow down play on online video slots and stop a feature called “reverse withdrawal”.
The rules change comes from the UK’s Gambling Commission, and they say what it calls “tough new rules” will make playing at online casinos a less intense experience that will be safer for players.
The regulator is acting ahead of a thoroughgoing review of gambling laws in the UK, which is largely inspired by a slew of negative coverage, including a lot of focus on advertising in the UK’s top sports leagues.
The reforms, say the regulator, will stop UK casino sites from disguising losses as wins and reduce the “illusion of control” over outcomes that players have.
This seems likely first of all to mean the end of autoplay features. It will also mean that slots will not be allowed to complete a single spin in less than 2.5 seconds – a feature of many “turbo mode” games.
Although modern autoplay features do contain quite sophisticated options that allow players to put stops in place they can also facilitate long periods of play with no intervention from the player, and this can make it difficult for players to track their performance or stop when they are losing. Some players use the features to gamble on multiple web-browser tabs or devices.
The “losses disguised as wins” are usually delivered as sound effects. When a player loses, playing a positive tune or sound can make them feel they have won, or mask the loss somewhat.
This will be banned.
Players will no longer be able to call back or reverse requested withdrawals. Once a player has asked for money to be paid out from their account the transaction must be completed.
Casino sites must also show how long a player has been playing a slot and how much – in total – they have won or lost during a slots session.
Slots are the most popular gambling product in the UK. Players spend, on average, £67 a month on the games, nearly double the spending for traditional casino games, and well over the £45-a-month average spend on real events like sports matches.
“This is another important step in making gambling safer and where the evidence shows that there are other opportunities to do that we are determined to take them,” said Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur.
Minister for Sports, Tourism and Heritage Nigel Huddleston said the measures “will help curb the intensity of online gambling” and “reduce the risk of gambling-related harm”.
He added: “I welcome the Gambling Commission’s tough measures as we continue our comprehensive review of gambling laws to make sure they’re fit for the digital age.”
These changes must be implemented by the end of October 2021. More general changes to the industry, which is one of the UK’s most lucrative and influential (gambling companies are major political donors) are likely to follow the completion of a government review of gambling laws due soon.
