White Paper Key Proposal: Online player protection

What How will it be implemented? Next step Current status Implementation date
Introduction of affordability thresholds on when online operators must carry out financial risk checks on customers.

 

LCCP amendments Gambling Commission will be introducing a two-part system to identify customers at risk of gambling harm: (i) Light touch vulnerability checks; and (ii) frictionless financial risk assessments (pilot).

Light touch vulnerability checks will use publicly available data (like history of unpaid debts and  bankruptcy records) to identify risks of harm.

Frictionless financial risk assessments will be more detailed risk assessments, which will run as a pilot program first which would allow operators and credit agencies to test how they would share data as it relates to identifying gambling harm. The pilot of this system will only involve the largest operators.

The Gambling Commission Summer 2023 consultation closed on 18 October 2023. The Gambling Commission recently published its response, here, as it relates to introducing a two-part system to identify customers at risk of gambling harm, starting in August 2024. Light touch vulnerability checks will come into force at a higher threshold (i.e., £500 net deposits in a rolling 30 day period) from 30 August 2024, before reducing to a lower threshold (i.e., £150 net deposits in a rolling 30 day period) on 28 February 2025.

The pilot of the frictionless financial risk assessments is expected to run from 30 August 2024 to 31 March 2025 (although this could extend to 30 April 2025).

Data sharing between operators about high-risk customers to achieve the ‘single customer view’ and prevent harm LCCP amendments Results of an initial trial to be announced. Consultation closed 18 October 2023. Awaiting Gambling Commission response. TBC
Online game design changes to slow down play and lower risk, such as preventing multiple games being played simultaneously Remote Technical Standards amendments The Gambling Commission has revised the remote gambling and software technical standards (RTS) in order to make online gambling fairer and will now introduce the following measures:

i. a minimum 5 second game speed for all non-slot games;

ii. a requirement for operators to display of net spend and net time information for casino games;

iii. a ban on autoplay for all online gambling products;

iv. a ban on operators offering features that facilitates playing multiple simultaneous games (as it relates to casino products);

v. a ban on audio or visual effects associated with a win of returns less than or equal to the amount  staked (which now extends to all casinos and not just slots);

vi. a ban on features that reduce the time for a the result to be known (e.g., turbo and quick spin) to all online gambling products; and

vii. new information security controls found in ISO27001:2022.

The Gambling Commission Summer 2023 consultation closed on 18 October 2023.  The Gambling Commission recently published its response, here, as it relates to new requirements on remote game designs which are due to come into force in 2025. The revised RTS will come into force on 17 January 2025.

Updated requirements for security audits will come into effect on 31 October 2024 – meaning all annual security audits conducted after 01 November 2024 will need to be updated to the ISO27001:2022 standard.

Stake limits for online slots games of between £2 and £15, with a £2 limit proposed for 18 to 24-year-olds Secondary legislation The government has now introduced the following maximum stake limits for online slots games:

i. £5 maximum stake limit per spin for adults aged 25 and above.

ii. £2 maximum stake limit per spin for young adults aged 18 to 24.

The DCMS consultation on maximum stake limits for online slots games, here, closed on 04 October 2023. See Government response here. Introducing stake limits will require secondary legislation, which requires parliamentary time, which has now been delayed due to the change in Government. It is expected that the legislation may be forthcoming in early 2025.
Improved player-centric tools such as mandatory deposit limits Exact mechanism TBC, potentially LCCP amendments Awaiting Gambling Commission response. The Gambling Commission Autumn 2023 consultation closed on 21 February 2024. TBC forthcoming
Improved transaction blocking to prevent players from circumventing banks’ gambling blocking tools TBC (Betting and Gaming Council has agreed to work with its members and the financial sector to develop a solution) TBC  TBC TBC
Regulation of large-scale prize draws TBC Government consultation at a date to be determined  TBC TBC