BGC to limit slot features and speeds
The UK industry body has launched a new code of conduct limiting spin speeds and banning features like turbo play.
UK.- The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) industry association that counts the largest UK operators as members, has launched a new code of conduct banning slot features that allow faster spins and simultaneous play.
The new code limits game speed to 2.5 seconds per spin and bans turbo play features, which allow players to speed up games, as well as multi-play features that permit players to play several games at the same time.
BGC members will implement the new rules by the end of this month in a bid to head off criticism from the government which has seen members of both legislative houses call for such restrictions to be imposed by law as part of the UK’s upcoming review of gambling legislation.
BGC chief executive Michael Dugher said the move proved the industry itself was committed to improving standards.
He said: “The BGC was set up last year with the aim of leading a race to the top in terms of standards within the regulated betting industry.
“The new Game Design Code of Conduct is yet another example of our determination to address concerns head on and meet our safer gambling commitments.
“I’m sure that our members will embrace this approach and commit to its objective of improving player safety.
“And as we prepare for the forthcoming Gambling Review, it is further evidence of our industry’s commitment to improving standards – unlike the completely unregulated black market.”
The new measures were first proposed through a Gambling Commission working group led by Playtech and Scientific Games. The group published proposals for an industry code in April and the industry agreed to adopt the changes by September.
However, the Gambling Commission itself expressed disappointment with the proposals saying that they did not go far enough and that it would consider further restrictions, including limits on stakes and losses.
It launched a wider consultation on game design in July, proposing the addition of the BGC’s new measures plus a ban on auto-spins and so-called “false wins” to its own compulsory Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP).
