It was announced during the early part of 2024 by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport that they will introduce online staking limits in the UK for slots players – in a bid to assist with problem gambling.
Maximum Stake For 18-24 Year-Olds To Be Just £2 Per Spin
The stake limits for online slots players will see those aged between 18-24 limited to just £2 per spin, with this age range seen as the most vulnerable to problem gambling either now or in the future.
While online slots players aged 25 and over will be allowed to stake a maximum of £5 per spin.
This decision was made after a 10-week consultation period and feedback obtained after recent reports by the UK government.
Industry representatives, stakeholders, platform providers and players are also said to be supportive of the changes, which will come into force in September 2024.
The 18-24 age group have not only been highlighted at the highest average range for problem gambling, but also having the lowest disposable income.
Stuart Andrew (Gambling Minister) said
“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.
We also know that young adults can be more vulnerable when it comes to gambling related harms, which is why we committed to addressing both of these issues in our white paper.
The growing popularity of online gambling is clear to see, so this announcement will level the playing field with the land-based sector and is the next step in a host of measures being introduced this year that will protect people from gambling harms.”
Zoë Osmond (CEO of GambleAware) said
“We welcome the Government’s announcement to introduce lower online stake limits for under 25s as an important mechanism to protect young people. Our research shows a concerning trend with this age group experiencing an increase in harm arising from gambling and online slots are very high-risk products.
As we continue our work to tackle this growing public health issue, we will collaborate with the Government and others across the gambling harms sector to ensure there are no missed opportunities when it comes to the introduction of robust preventative measures, including new regulations such as these.”
The rollout of the new staking limits will be in September 2024 and pending a secondary legislation.
There will be a 6-week transition period for operators to fall into line with the age ranges. While there will also be an extra six weeks put aside for the development and any technical solutions needed to get fully up to speed with the new guidelines.
