The UK government is expected to finally confirm a spin limit for online games, possibly bringing them in line with land-based betting machines. The Guardian reported that the government is expected to announce the measure next Friday (23).
The change has been under discussion for some time and was the subject of a consultation following the publication of the UK gambling white paper last April.
Government will establish limit for games
In 2019, fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) had a £2 per spin limit imposed.
But no limits have been applied to online slots so far, although some larger operators impose limits voluntarily.
The tendency is for two different limits to be announced: £2 for under-25s and £5 for over-ages.
The Guardian quoted an “industry source” as saying: “We expect it to be £2 and £5. We would be very surprised if it wasn’t.”
Therefore, the restriction could cost the UK gambling industry dearly in terms of lost revenue. This decision came at a time when online gambling is growing rapidly.
According to statistics from the Gambling Commission, online casino gaming in the UK generated £4 billion in the 12 months ending March 2023, with slots accounting for £3.2 billion of that total.
Deadline extension
In September, the government extended the deadline for consultation on betting limits on online games due to an error in the data provided in the original documentation.
Thus, the government published that the rate of problem gambling in the United Kingdom for 16 to 24 year olds was 1.5%.
However, according to data from Public Health England, this is only the percentage for men. The percentage of gambling problems in this age group as a whole is 0.8%.
As a result of the error, the government postponed the deadline for the consultation by two weeks, which should now take place until October 4th.
