Online casino games shake-up from the Gambling Commission

In the United Kingdom and the Gambling Commission regulator has announced the coming implementation of a strict package of new measures that it hopes will strengthen the controls and protections for those who enjoy playing video slots.

The organization used an official press release to declare that the fresh protocols were formulated following extensive consultations with players, the iGaming industry and the wider public and are set to come into force for United Kingdom-licensed operators and developers from the end of October so as to ‘make online casino games less intensive, safer by design and hand players more control over their gambling.’

Approaching embargo:

The Gambling Commission stated that these coming measures will ban video slots from offering auto-play functions as well as any features that ‘speed up play or give the illusion of control over the outcome.’ The regulator pronounced that developers are to also be required to slow the speed of their video slots to less than one spin every 2.5 seconds and refrain from using ‘sounds or imagery’ that may give the illusion of a win when the actual outcome of a game is ‘equal to, or below, a stake.’

Further restraints:

In addition, the watchdog proclaimed that the new rules are to oblige all locally-licensed operators to make it easy for players to see their aggregated wins and losses alongside the ‘time played during any online slots session.’ As if all of this wasn’t enough and the body detailed that it is to moreover prohibit online casinos from offering reverse withdrawals, which is a process that allows punters to re-wager funds they may have previously requested to extract.

Vulnerability concerns:

Neil McArthur serves as the Chief Executive for the Gambling Commission and he used the press release to declare that his organization decided to institute these new measures because video slots including their mobile-friendly renderings often come complete with features that ‘increase the intensity of play and the corresponding risks to players.’ He furthermore asserted that such games ‘have by far the highest average losses per player of online gambling products’ especially if they incorporate auto-play aspects that may cause aficionados to ‘lose track of play.’

Read a statement from McArthur…

“To make online games safer we are introducing a ban on features that speed up play or give the illusion of control over the outcome. We are also introducing a ban on auto-play, losses disguised as wins and slot spin speeds faster than 2.5 seconds. The evidence shows that these features increase the risk of harm to customers. 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.”