Stake limits are set to be introduced for online slot games in the UK from September 2024, according to reports.
Those aged 25 and over will be capped at £5 per spin on digital slot machines. Players aged 18-24 will be restricted to a maximum of £2 per spin.
The new stake limits are set to mirror those of slot machines in land-based casinos and high street bookmakers. These new measures are part of a package of proposed gambling reforms.
In April 2023, a 268-page white paper published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) strongly emphasised the changes.
UK Slot Stake Limits
Imposing the new UK stake limits followed a consultation period that lasted 10 weeks. Naturally, the majority of the respondents in the gambling industry aligned with those in the government’s white paper proposal.
Gambling Minister Stuart Andrew said in a recent press release that although many play safely, there is a slight cause for concern with online slots.
“Although millions of people gamble safely every single day, the evidence shows that there is a significantly higher problem gambling rate for online slot games,” he explained.
Since 2016, UK online slots account for almost 30% of the total gambling revenue. The government has been keen for some time to introduce mandatory stake limits to protect players.
Slot play has very much been on the rise in the UK. According to the Gambling Commission, the GGY climbed 11% in Q4 of 2023. This equated to around £614Million.
The UKGC also reported that 21.9 billion spins were placed on digital slots in the same quarter. Consequently, this was an increase of 12%.
Therefore, the new measures that are set to be introduced in September will likely affect these figures. However, protecting players from binge sessions is the most important factor.
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