UK Gambling Companies Ordered to Slow Down the Operation of Slot Machines

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: February 20, 2021

Online casinos are likely to be forced to reform video games for slot machines to slow them down and eliminate options that make players lose control over their spending.

In a series of restrictions that could cut online slots revenue by £ 2.2 billion a year, the Gambling Commission has called on UK companies to lower their intensity and remove any potentially misleading features.

There must be an interval of at least 2.5 seconds between spins. The company should also remove the autoplay option. It allows players to play the slot machine multiple times independently. According to regulators, this could lead to players not paying attention to their losses.

Slot Machines Do Not Play Positive Music

Also, slot machines cannot play positive music or sound if the player loses money. This feature is part of a phenomenon known as losses disguised as winnings. It deceives players into believing they are getting better results than they are, so they bet more.

The company also needs to remove a feature that gives players the illusion of control when motion is provided by a random generator.

The company can no longer offer withdrawals when a player collects his winnings but changes his mind and refunds to his account. Regulators have already asked companies to do this, but the measures that apply to all online gambling, not just slot machines, are now mandatory.

The operator must also clearly show the player his total profit or loss and the time spent during the online slot session. The steps will come into force on October 31.

Neil MacArthur said the evidence suggests these properties increase the risk of loss for customers.

The rise in the number of slot machines has helped boost online casino revenues in the gaming industry. Total online revenue increased from £ 2.36 billion in the year ending March 2016 to nearly £ 3.18 billion in the year ending March 2020. 70% of this income.

In an NHS poll published in 2018, less than 4% of online athletes were classified as addicts, compared with a 5.7% increase among land-based casino players. The game rate for online bingo, casino, and slot machines is 8.5%, making it one of the highest among the leading products.

Despite the new restrictions, gambling stocks did little change in the stock market on Tuesday. It made investors not believe the new commission rules would have a significant impact on earnings.

More about Safe Gambling

BGC CEO Michael Dugher said the industry is “determined to lead change and promote safer gaming.”

Therefore, he said, “his party welcomes the announcement by the Gambling Commission. It is based on the BGC’s new code of ethics last September for developing online games to improve player safety.”

“BGC members have taken action, including lowering the rotation speed and banning disturbing gameplay features. One of its main commitments is that a game loop speed of at least 2.5 seconds has been introduced, which means the end of turbo games. It allows players to speed up the game and eliminates multi-slot games where players can place multiple bets on different games simultaneously.”

The Gaming Commission’s decision is based on a review of the gaming legislation. It will hopefully lead to stricter rules such as a ban on soccer jersey sponsorship.