Last year, the UK Gambling Commission announced new rules targeting the design of online slot games. They gave operators ample time to make modifications to online slots sites and declared to make the new rules, effective from 31 October 2021 onwards.
This new UK regulation falls in line with the industry code (given by the Betting and Gaming Council in September 2020) on safer game design. It strengthens the protection measures for new players around the online age and ID verification for online slot games and provides gamblers more control over their gambling. While searching for online slots sites that follow the new UK regulations, check Best-Casino to find them.
What Are The New UK Regulations?
The new UK regulations introduce limits on spin speeds and put a permanent ban on all the features that speed-up the gameplay. It highlighted various requirements for online slot games as mandatory.
- Open display of the player’s net position in all gaming sessions, highlighting the total losses or wins.
- Precisely display elapsed time for the duration of the gaming session.
- The ‘AutoPlay’ feature that leads players to lose track of their gameplay is now prohibited.
- Prohibition also placed on playing multiple slot games at the same time.
- No more new game automatic start! Now, players must press the start button to begin a new gaming session. Additionally, the next cycle must contain a lapse of at least 2.5 seconds between game cycles.
- Players are not permitted anymore to reduce the animation time until the result is displayed.
- Ban is also imposed on the slot spin speed faster than 2.5 seconds.
- Prohibition placed on system celebration with sounds and images, in circumstances when players returns are less or equal to the total stake gambled.
- Ban on the reverse-withdrawal feature, restricting players to re-gamble money they earlier had requested to withdraw.
The new UK regulations focus more on making online slot games a safer gambling platform by changing slot game designs. Currently, the autoplay feature made players lose track of play, and together with the reverse-withdrawal function, it made it difficult for players to escape the temptation to gamble more. Therefore, it instructed the operators to design online slot games for more responsible gambling.
What should operators do now?
The time for the new rules’ effective date may seem far off, but operators must start calibrating their online slot games right away.
Actions Existing Operators Must Take
- Operators must access their every slot game to ensure it meets the new UK regulations.
- They must redesign or remove features that are banned and prohibited now.
- Additionally, they must try and test slot games to ensure they work properly as per the set industry code of responsible gambling.
Conclusion
Some online casinos have already made modifications to their online slots sites as per the new UK regulations. Others will follow sooner or later to maintain their gambling licenses with UKGC. So, check carefully online slots sites now, before gambling and go with only licensed casino sites.