The UK government has confirmed that they will be introducing a maximum stake on every spin of online slot games.
Most players will be allowed to wager up to £5 on every spin, but those aged 18 to 24 will only be allowed to play with a maximum stake of £2.
It comes as ministers confirm a range of measures identified in the industry White Paper, which was published in 2023, will be implemented in the near future.
And that includes a statutory levy, which will see bookmakers and gambling sites pay a percentage of their annual gross gambling yield into a fund that will research into and treat addictive behaviours.
All Change
Gambling Minister Fiona Twycross (Credit: House of Commons/Roger Harris)
After publishing their gambling sector White Paper, the previous Conservative government opened up a consultation period for industry stakeholders to have their say.
After gathering a considerable amount of evidence from operators, players, clinicians and lobbyists, with more than 16,000 submissions of evidence provided, it was decided that maximum stakes needed to be introduced on online slots in a bid to tackle the damage caused by addictive behaviour.
Previously, online slot games did not have a maximum stake limit, with some titles allowing punters to spend as much as £500 per spin of the reels. This particular genre of gaming is said by experts to be the most likely to result in longer sessions, ‘binge’ play and larger losses.
And so the government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), headed by the gambling minister Fiona Twycross, has decided to impose a maximum stake limit on players of all ages.
Twycross revealed that the decision was taken to ‘protect those at risk, with a particular focus on young adults.’
Players aged 18-24 generally have less disposable income than those older, which means that binge gambling can have more serious consequences on their finances.
Younger people are still developing neurologically too, which can impact decision-making and risk perception.
“We are absolutely committed to implementing strengthened measures for those at risk, as well as providing effective support for those affected,” Baroness Twycross said.
The stake limits, as detailed by the former government, were supposed to be rolled out in September, however the general election – and the period of transition with Labour taking over the running of the country – had delayed their implementation.
To the Levy
The revisions to the Gambling Act will also see a mandatory levy imposed upon betting operators in the UK for the first time.
The fund, which will be the first ‘legally mandated’ levy of its kind, will be used to fund treatment of problem gambling behaviours, as well as funding further research into the subject.
This week Gambling Minister @fionatwycross, visited our National Problem Gambling Clinic. This comes as the Government announces plans to implement a statutory levy to help tackle #gambling addiction https://t.co/mkqC2hyCuD
@DCMS | @NHSEnglandLDN | @NHSEngland | @ClaireCNWL pic.twitter.com/MIiJ3ZwU5P— CNWL NHS FT (@CNWLNHS) November 27, 2024
All betting sites with a UK licence will be paying into the fund, with the money ringfenced and spread to a number of government-approved departments.
There has long been a voluntary levy into which gambling firms have paid. And while some companies have taken their obligation seriously, others have looked to cut corners – paying as little as £1 into the fund each year.
Under the new system, firms will pay between 0.1% and 1.1% of their annual gross gambling yield. Online casinos and betting sites will typically pay the higher rate, as their operating costs are normally lower than those of high street firms.
The DCMS believes that its mandatory levy could raise as much as £100 million in revenue by the year 2027, with the money shared between a number of partner organisations.
The NHS in England, and similar bodies in Scotland and Wales, will receive 50% of the money generated by the levy. This will be used to fund treatments and support systems. Another 30% will go towards funding ‘prevention’, including public health campaigning and interventional training.
The remaining 20% will be funnelled to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), an organisation tasked with researching problem gambling in a bid to improve industry understanding yet further.
As part of the new system, the gambling industry will have no access to any of the money raised by the levy; which means that key sector charities, like GambleAware, will receive no governmental funding – with the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) claiming that an ‘independent network of charities’ is vital in responding quickly to problem gambling.
“The introduction of the first legally mandated levy will be instrumental in supporting research, raising awareness and reducing the stigma around gambling-related harm,” Baroness Twycross commented.
“These measures will help build an NHS fit for our future and strengthen protections whilst also allowing people to continue to gamble safely.”