The UK’s Gambling Commission (UKGC) has launched a consultation process and White Paper on empowering people to use gaming machines safely.
In the white paper, the regulator is focusing on the technical standards of gaming machines and the testing strategy.
The consultation suggests five new standards, a license condition, and a social responsibility code provision. This code proposes time and monetary limits and would include safe gambling messaging and session time.
The UKGC is also seeking views on three existing standards it is looking to amend. Moreover, the commission wants to consolidate the 12 existing gaming machine standards into one standard. This will be twinned with steps to amend the format for greater consistency with remote gambling and software technical standards.
Lastly, the consultation includes plans for gaming machine technical standards updates and the testing strategy that looks to remove obsolete material.
Tim Miller, the Gambling Commission’s executive director of research and policy, summarized that the top priority of the white paper is to ensure that gambling happens safely. The consultation is committed to this aim along with the implementation of gaming machine changes.
On the cost of these new measures, Miller invited consumers and gambling businesses to share evidence that will help them calculate the likely costs of these regulatory changes, as well as the overall impact.
The consultation started yesterday (January 29) and will last 16 weeks, ending on May 20.
