UK gaming machine compliance change comes into effect next week
A new licence condition will require the immediate removal of non-compliant gaming machines.
UK.- The Gambling Commission has confirmed this month’s deadline to comply with a new licence condition obliging all non‑remote gambling operators in Britain to remove gaming machines deemed non‑compliant once they receive formal written notice. The requirement will come into force on July 29.
Introduced under Section 86(2) of the Gambling Act 2005, Licence Condition 18.1.1, gives the regulator authority to order the withdrawal of machines that have been unlawfully manufactured, supplied, installed, adapted, maintained or repaired, or that otherwise fail to meet technical standards.
The Gambling Commission has rejected calls for a longer lead-in period, noting that the condition does not require technical changes to machines or major operational adjustments. Instead, businesses will need only to update compliance procedures, policies and staff training where necessary. “The new licence condition requires no technical modifications to gaming machines or significant operational changes by operators,” it said.
According to the regulator, the condition “closes a compliance gap” by creating a statutory process that ensures non‑compliant machines are taken out of use immediately after notification.
It’s the first concrete step to emerge from last year’s consultation on Gaming Machine Technical Standards, part of the Gambling Review White Paper published in 2023. Broader reforms under consideration include consolidating the current 12 technical standards into a single framework, updating rules for Category B2 machines to reflect the £2 maximum stake, and introducing five new technical standards alongside a social responsibility code.
The Gambling Commission said it is still reviewing stakeholder feedback on those proposals, with a full response expected later in the summer.
