On 2 February, the Gambling Commission announced the introduction of new measures to make online slots games safer, which would apply to all licenced operators in Great Britain.
The new measures include outright bans on auto-play, slot spin speeds faster than 2.5 seconds and reverse withdrawals. The measures must be implemented by all licenced online operators by 31 October.
In response, BGC CEO Michael Dugher, said the gambling standards body welcomed the move to promote safer gambling and mentioned current commitments the industry is working on, including player education.
Dugher said: “As the standards body representing the regulated industry, the BGC is determined to drive change and promote safer gambling. That’s why we welcome the Gambling Commission’s announcement which builds on the BGC’s new code of conduct from last September for the design of online games in a bid to further improve player safety.
“BGC members have already introduced measures including the slowing down of spin speeds and banning several gaming features which have caused concern.
“We are also progressing a game labelling project which will improve labelling of games in order to educate players on key game characteristics.
“The BGC will work with the regulator, academics, consumers and individuals with lived experience of betting-related harm to identify further best practice in game design going forward, to ensure we keep up to date with changes in technology.”
