The UK Gambling Commission has launched a consultation to investigate the condition of game machines nationwide based on their technical standards to ensure “safer and fairer” play.
This has resulted in the proposal of five game machine standards and a new social responsibility code for gamblers and players throughout the UK. The latest Gaming Machine Technical Standards (GMTS) are divided into requirements for hardware, software, critical memory, machine credit, and specific games. They range from ALL to A, then B1, B2, B3, B3A, B34, C, and D, labeled “Complex.”
The proposed GMTS has 15 parts and outlines plans for specific error conditions, meter requirements, artwork and game displays, legacy gaming machines, wireless networks, linked progressive, downloadable games, cashless payments, and gambling management tools.
The open consultation on the proposed changes to the Gaming Machine Technical Standards will run from the end of January until May 20, 2025, meaning it will be debated for 16 weeks. An online survey is running where the public can respond to what’s been proposed for all areas of the new GMTS guidelines or just specific parts. The Gambling Commission said, “We will consider all responses.”
In addition to the proposed new consultation to test and maintain gaming machines, the UK Gambling Commission has also expressed interest in condensing the current 12 technical standards a machine must reach into a single standard. The current Remote gambling and software technical standards (RTS) outline was first published on February 2, 2021, and then updated on December 15, 2021. They were initially introduced for online slots but now include poker, bingo, and more casino experiences as well.
The Gambling Act of 2005 has been innovated and iterated upon a handful of times since its introduction. Under the previous Conservative Government, it was generally agreed that consumer protections were strengthened. At the same time, industry exploitation was heeled, but this has been a hotly debated topic on all sides politically.
Depending on the consultation’s results, gamblers in the UK could see sweeping overhauls to how machines are maintained and potentially even how they pay out. The tighter regulations could see older machines decommissioned and replaced quicker, depending on the venue in which they are a part.
In more world news, a Thai civil group seeks 50,000 signatures to oppose legalized gambling.
