UKGC says ‘there must be no going backwards’ with player safety on gaming machines

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) sees its relationship with the Bingo Association as the ideal pinnacle of how a regulator and industry trade body should interact during a time of regulatory change.

Tim Miller, the UKGC’s Policy Director, made the remarks during a speech at the Bingo Association’s AGM late last week. The ideal scenario for the regulator, he said, is one in which it can work well with the industry on topics like safer gambling.

This has become a particularly important task for the UGKC in recent years, particularly in the context of the Gambling Act review. Miller noted during this speech that the gambling industry is now heading into the third year of implementing the recommendations of the Gambling Act White Paper.

The long-awaited regulatory review of British gambling legislation, published in April 2023, made a number of recommendations for how the framework could be modernised. This largely concerned the digitalisation of gambling, but also the societal impact of various aspects of the land-based sector. This has, understandably, put some strain on the industry-regulatory relationship at times.

Miller remarked: “These are not easy things and there have been plenty of times where the easy path for industry would have been to call for more collaboration but then step back and either wait for others to act or indeed sling some mud or double down on defending the status quo.

“To be honest it is frustrating when we have created opportunities for collaboration, such as the creation of Gam Protect or the financial risk pilot, and we face a kind of reverse ‘I’m Spartacus’ moment with very few operators prepared to step forward and participate.

“However, in contrast the engagement we’ve had through the Bingo Association on many issues has been positive, practical and constructive.”

Clarity on gaming machines’ future

For the Bingo Association, the consultation on gambling machines has been by far the most relevant. Originally running from 29 January to 20 May 2025, Miller announced during last week’s speech that the consultation will be extended until 3 June.

“This will give more time for those impacted or interested to make submissions, provide data and give us the information we need to get to the right outcomes,” Miller said.

The consultation concerns a White Paper recommendation around the relaxation of regulations around gaming machines, including those in bingo venues.

As it stands, the UK’s extensive network of bingo arcades and gaming halls are subject to the ‘80/20 rule’, which splits the premises between the three different categories of gaming machine found across the UK.

As the name implies, 80% of gaming machines in any given venue must be either category C or D, with lower stakes of £1 and 10p and prizes of £100 and £10 respectively. The remaining 20% can be B3, offering a higher stake of £2 and prize of £500.

A review recommendation was that these rules should be relaxed, offering more flexibility to the land-based sector while separately setting up stricter requirements for online slots in the form of a £5 stake-per-spin limit for those aged 25 and over and a £2 limit for those aged between 18-24.

The UKGC and government have now shelved this planned reform to arcade and bingo gaming machines, leaving the industry with the 80/20 rule for the foreseeable future. Other options are being considered, but the UKGC is adamant that the outcome must be the same regardless of which alternative, if any, is chosen.

“Our intention was to arrive at a package of proposals that protects vulnerable people, ensures consumers can make informed decisions about their gambling and recognises the need to minimise the impact on consumers who are not experiencing difficulty in managing their gambling safely.

“We do however remain keen to hear workable alternatives to our proposals. But we also need to be clear. The starting point for alternatives should aim to achieve the same policy objectives. There is no going backwards when it comes to consumer safety here.”

The UKGC is listening to the bingo industry in other ways, Miller asserted, going beyond the gaming machine consolation. In particular, he noted that licensed companies are becoming increasingly concerned with the prevalence of unlicensed bingo operators – a concern shared by counterparts in sports betting and casinos.

However, as White Paper consultations and the campaign against the black market continue, the UKGC remains adamant that it needs to continue working as constructively as possible with the industry to achieve these objectives. The Bingo Association has been emblematic of this approach, Miller says, and the UKGC is keen to keep things this way.