United Kingdom’s Plans to Relax Slot Machine Limits Put on Hold
The UK government has decided to pause proposed changes to regulations surrounding adult gaming centers (AGCs), amid growing concern about how these businesses affect vulnerable individuals.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Officials were widely expected to give AGCs, which often operate 247, permission to install more high-stakes slot machines. However, those plans have now been shelved and while the changes could still be revisited in the future, they will not proceed in 2025.
No Change to 80/20 Rule
Currently, AGCs and bingo halls are governed by the “80/20 rule”, which limits the number of category B3 machines, those allowing up to £2 bets and £500 jackpots, to 20% of all terminals on-site. The remaining 80% must be category C or D machines, offering lower stakes of £1 and top prizes of £100.
Industry representatives argue that this rule stifles business, as many customers avoid the lower-stakes machines. They also say it results in wasted space and unnecessary energy costs. The former Conservative government had signaled intentions to relax this ratio, suggesting either a 50/50 split or scrapping the rule altogether as part of a broader gambling reform initiative laid out in the 2023 white paper. While the paper imposed stricter regulations on online gambling, it was seen as more favorable toward physical betting shops.
Despite this, a letter obtained press in the UK revealed that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will not proceed with any change to the 80/20 rule this year. The department cited “concerns about the strength of protections for vulnerable people in the adult gaming centre sector” as a key reason for the delay.
More Responsible Gambling News
Calls for Further Restrictions on AGCs
Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative party leader and current chair of a parliamentary group focused on gambling harms, has called for greater restrictions on AGCs
Given the insufficient protections in place for people in these venues and the addictive nature of these machines, increasing their numbers should be ruled out entirely and the current widespread breaches of regulations by AGCs, which are now proliferating on our high streets, must be urgently looked into.
However, John Bollom, the president of industry trade group Bacta, has responded to the delay with disappointment. He said that changing the 80/20 rule was a “key modernizing proposal” in the white paper and expressed hope that when the proposed change is looked at again, it will be seen as “common sense, safe for players, and good for … high streets.”
RELATED TOPICS: Responsible Gambling
Latest News
Most Read
Must Read
Interviews
Sweepstakes Casinos: Thriving in an Ever-Changing Industry – Interview with Attorney Stephen C. Piepgrass
Feb 17, 2025
Interviews
Review this New Post
Leave a Comment
User Comments
Comments for United Kingdom’s Plans to Relax Slot Machine Limits Put on Hold