Casino slot game changes for UK customers

Following an 8-week review in 2020 conducted by the UK Gambling Commission a proposal was made to implement changes to Slots games to make them safer for players. The overall aim is to reduce the intensity of slot games.
These changes will be implemented after October 31st 2021

What the measures are and what it means

Prohibiting multiple slot games – A restriction will be implemented to ensure players are permitted to play only one slot game at a time per account across multiple tabs/windows, browsers, applications (apps) or devices.

Introducing speed of play limits – A minimum cycle game speed of 2.5 seconds for Slot games.

Prohibiting player-led “spin stop” features - The ability to speed up games such as turbo, quick spin and slam stop are not permitted.

Prohibiting auto-play functionality for online slots – Auto-play or auto-spin will no longer be permitted for Slot games; customers will now need to initiate each individual gameplay by the press of a button.

Prohibiting effects that give the illusion of “false wins” - Slot games will ensure that returns equal to or below stake must not be celebrated in the same way as a “true win”.

Display of net position and time spent – Slot games will display with the customer net position (overall win/loss) and time spent during that slot game session. 

Full details of the changes can be viewed on the Gambling Commission website here.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Some slot games have bonus rounds or features with spins faster than 2.5 seconds, is this allowed?

Yes, this requirement does not apply to bonus and or feature games where an additional stake is not wagered.

Are Bingo, Lottery, Table Games and Live Casino games included in the changes?

The Gambling Commission state that only Casino games of a reel-based type (includes games that have non-traditional reels) are subject to these requirements.

Some slot games feature more than one set of reels, why are these still allowed?

These games were taken under consideration by the Gambling Commission and will remain under review.

How is my net position (win/loss) calculated?

Net position is defined as the total of all winnings minus the sum of all losses since the start of the gaming session. A gaming session is defined as the opening and closing of one slot game.