UK: GamCare opposes proposed changes for land-based gaming

The support charity has called for the government to reevaluate its proposal to relax rules for electronic gambling machines.

UK.- The gambling support charity GamCare is pushing for a rethink on proposed changes to the rules for electronic gambling machines (EGMs) at land-based gambling venues in Britain. It argues that relaxing limits on the number of machines would increase the possibility of harm.

The government’s Gambling White Paper proposes allowing larger land-based casinos to increase their EGM capacity to 80, while smaller venues would be allowed up to 20. It also intends to revise the 80/20 ratio on high stake vs low stake gaming machines.

The land-based gambling sector argues that a 50/50 ratio for gaming machines would allow venues to meet customer demand and cute energy costs. However, GamCare says that the live experience suggests the proposed changes would create more chances of harm. It said high-risk EGMs “present an increased risk of rapidly losing significant sums of money.”

It cited Gambling Commission statistics, showing that EGMs generated £1.8bn in gross gambling yield from just 7 per cent of the gambling population in 2022. The charity said it supports the white paper’s proposals for the introduction of mandatory age verification for customers using machines and for time and spending limits.

It said: “As the government contemplates the next steps, we will persist in advocating for more robust and consistent player protections in both the land-based and broader sectors.”