The British Gambling Commission has published its reply to the public consultation on compulsory maximum bet amounts for players of online slots.

Under the new rules - which have not been set into force yet – players aged 18 – 24 will be subject to maximum stake of 2 GBP, while players with 25 or more years of age will not be allowed higher stakes than 5 GBP per bet.

Driven by the heavy opposition of industry shareholders, the UKGC had published a consultation on the new regulatory initiative, which forms part of the UK Gambling Act review, expected to come into force in 2024. The now-published replies to the consultation cement the UKGC’s position, despite the concerns raised for severe economic impacts on the industry as well as a player drain to offshore gaming operators. In its replies, to Gambling Commissions points out its view that maximum stake limits are required for an effective player protection approach and especially the group of 18 to 24-years-olds were in need of strengthened protective measures, due to their high vulnerability.

The UK Gambling Act review caters for a bunch of measures to be newly implemented, which are expected by the regulator to prevent gambling-related harm from society. Whereas the discussion on the max bet-rule can be expected to be over, from a regulatory perspective, other measures, such as the aim to implement mandatory affordability checks on a player’s financial standing, are still subject to discussion.

Interested in further news on developments in player protection and regulatory compliance and how to stay abreast of regulator challenges in regulated markets? Contact Chevron Group’s Nikolas Lotz (nikolas@chevron.group), Lawrence Marchese (lawrence@chevron.group), Mel McElhatton (melissa@chevron.group) and Thees Buschmann (thees@chevron.group). Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry related news.

Quelle: Chevron Consultants e.K.