UKGC opens consultation on autoplay and quick spin ban
The Gambling Commission has opened a consultation on proposed prohibition of autoplay and quick spins in iGaming products.
The UK’s Gambling Commission has opened another consultation on proposed regulatory changes, this time on prohibiting autoplay and quick spin features in online slots.
The Commission says slots are the highest grossing online gambling product but are only played by 1.2 per cent of adults in Great Britain, with individual spending particularly high due to game design that encourages intensive play.
It said: “This means it poses a relatively high risk, reflected in its associated problem and moderate-risk gambling rates.
“We also know that speed of play, frequency of betting opportunities, as well as other factors on offer can increase addiction and risk of harm.”
The consultation follows a series of calls for changes in British gambling regulations, including control and testing of game design.
The Gambling Commission has already tasked its working group on game design, led by Playtech and Scientific Games, to propose regulations on the matter. It came up with a series of proposals including a minimum game cycle, removal of turbo or slam-stop feature and split-screen slots to discourage intensive play.
However, the Commission decided the group had not gone far enough and decided to intervene itself to draw up new controls.
It will now produce a series of regulations based on the working group’s original recommendations combined with additional controls depending on the result of the current consultation.
These may include a permanent ban on reverse withdrawals and a ban on “losses disguised as winnings” where games display celebrations to make it appear a player has won money when the winnings are actually lower than their original stake.
The consultation also proposes changing the definition of slots in its remote gambling and software technical standards (RTS) to avoid designers being able to use non-traditional formats to avoid the new controls when they are introduced.
The Commission said: “Proposals around the design of slots games are just the first step in keeping players safe. Slots is an area which has seen technological innovation in terms of product design and we expect operators to continually show an equal, and indeed greater, commitment to innovate in terms of consumer protection.”
The consultation will run until September 3. Details are available at the Gambling Commission website.
The Commission also recently launched a consultation on restrictions to schemes for VIPs, or high-value customers.
