Overhaul of UK online gambling laws could result in a 2 slots limit for under 25s | Game

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Online casinos will face tougher restrictions under the government’s proposals to overhaul UK gambling laws, but the majority of the measures will be subject to further consultation, signaling further delay to changes both expected.

A white paper, the fruit of a review launched in 2020, is to be published on Thursday, after being postponed several times.

Ministers will unveil plans to make gambling safer, following a series of high-profile cases where customers suffered huge losses or took their own lives.

Proposals expected in the white paper include:

A mandatory levy of 1% on industry revenues.

Online slots bets limited between 2 and 15.

Measures to slow down online casino gambling.

Looser restrictions for land-based casinos.

Government-run safer gambling campaigns.

Lightweight affordability checks.

Some of the most contested measures, including accessibility checks for big-loss bettors, restrictions on digital marketing and the exact level of online slots betting limits, are set to be further revised. consultations, amid a legislative backlog in parliament.

Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader who chairs an all-party parliamentary group examining gambling harms, told the Guardian he was concerned about the white paper, warning that putting so many measures out for consultation was tantamount to doing nothing.

It is understood that there has been no decision on wagering limits on online slots games, which are currently unlimited despite some of the highest addiction rates of any gaming product.

The consultation is likely to offer limits of 2 for those under 25, in line with the cap for customers of all ages on in-store Fixed Odds Betting (FOB) terminals. Older players may be allowed to bet up to 15 per spin, but the exact levels will be decided at a later date.

On affordability checks, which campaigners say could prevent people from suffering financial ruin, the government appears to be leaning towards a lightweight option, which would see businesses run credit checks when customers lose a certain amount. Rising.

Lobbyists for the 11 billion euro-a-year industry have campaigned hard against tougher controls that would force operators to demand proof of income.

Ministers are expected to ask the Gambling Commission, the industry regulator, to consult on when and how to carry out these checks. An early draft of the white paper envisioned doing this for punters who lost 1,000 in one day or 2,000 in 90 days.

Disincentives to digital marketing, such as promotions sent to customers offering free bets or bonuses, should also be the subject of further consultation.

Two sources with knowledge of the talks said a legislative backlog in parliament, partly due to measures required as a result of Brexit, made it impossible to introduce new marketing restrictions without a potentially lengthy consultation process. Advertising should not face new restrictions in the white paper.

In a letter to fellow ministers, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said any drop in industry revenue as a result of the measures will be the loss of income for people who gamble unaffordably, the Times.

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As expected, the industry will be subject to a new mandatory 1% on its gross gambling return, in fact revenue, to fund addiction education, treatment and research.

A 1% levy would have raised more than €100m in each of the three years before the pandemic hit industry revenue.

The gambling industry currently makes voluntary contributions which vary by company.

The Department of Health should also take responsibility for safer gambling messaging, which is currently overseen by the industry itself and the charity GambleAware.

While ministers hope to impose tougher restrictions on online gambling, land-based casinos will see their regulations eased.

Small casinos will be entitled to 80 slot machines, against 20 previously, while more upscale sites will be able to offer credits to large foreign players.

In the UK and Ireland, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or by email at [email protected] or [email protected]. In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the Lifeline crisis helpline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines are available at befrienders.org.

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