The UK government has announced that it will introduce stake limits for online slot games for the first time, in a bid to reduce the risk of gambling harm and protect vulnerable consumers. The new regulation, which will come into effect in September, sets the maximum stake on online slots to £2 for individuals under the age of 25, mirroring the government’s 2019 restriction on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). Those aged 25 and older have a higher limit of £5 per spin.
Stake Limits Aim to Level the Playing Field with Land-Based Sector
The decision to impose stake limits on online slot games follows a 10-week consultation period, in which the majority of respondents agreed with the gambling white paper proposal to introduce statutory limits for online slot games. The government said that online slot games are one of the most addictive forms of gambling, and can be associated with large losses, long sessions, and binge play. Unlike land-based gaming machines, such as in casinos, they have no statutory stake limits.
Gambling Minister Stuart Andrew said: “Although millions of people gamble safely every single day, the evidence shows that there is a significantly higher problem gambling rate for online slot games. We also know that young adults can be more vulnerable when it comes to gambling related harms, which is why we committed to addressing both of these issues in our white paper. The growing popularity of online gambling is clear to see, so this announcement will level the playing field with the land-based sector and is the next step in a host of measures being introduced this year that will protect people from gambling harms.”
Young Adults Face Higher Risk of Gambling Harm from Online Slots
The government said that it has responded to the evidence that young adults aged 18-24 years old face a higher risk of gambling harm from online slot games, and therefore decided to set a lower level stake limit for this age group at £2 per spin. This age group has the highest average problem gambling score of any group, as well as lower disposable income, ongoing neurological development impacting risk perception and common life stage factors like managing money for the first time. The evidence also points to a stronger link between gambling related harm and suicide among young adults.
Zoë Osmond, CEO of GambleAware, a charity that funds research and treatment for problem gambling, welcomed the government’s announcement and said: “We are pleased to see the government taking action to protect young people from the harms of online slot games, which can be particularly addictive and damaging. We know that young adults are more likely to experience gambling harms than older adults, and that online gambling is the most common form of gambling among this age group. We hope that this measure will help prevent young people from developing gambling problems and reduce the number of people who need our services in the future.”
BGC Supports the Measure, but Warns Against Customer Drift to Black Market
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the trade body that represents the UK’s gambling industry, said that it supported the government’s intention to reform stake limits, and that it fully engaged in the consultation process and the discussions with ministers that led to these proposals. However, the BGC also warned that moving forward, the government should prioritize both protecting consumers and making sure that they stay in the regulated gambling market, and avoid customers drifting to the unsafe, unregulated black market online.
Michael Dugher, CEO of the BGC, said: “The BGC is committed to driving up standards and promoting safer gambling across the industry, and we have already introduced a range of measures to do so, including new age and ID verification checks, a ban on credit card gambling, and a whistle-to-whistle ban on TV betting adverts during live sport. We also support the introduction of affordability checks, as long as they are fair and proportionate. We must avoid customers drifting to the unsafe, unregulated black market online if we don’t tread carefully and get the balance of regulation right. We look forward to working with the government and the regulator to ensure that the UK remains the safest place to gamble in the world.”
