Reforms to slot products that the U.K. Gambling Commission (UKGC) adopted in 2021 led to “reduced play intensity” and didn’t cause bad unintended consequences.
That’s the UKGC’s assessment, as reported by iGaming Business.
The reforms were introduced in October 2021 with the goal of strengthening protections for vulnerable players. Other reforms included limiting the number of spins per player, a ban on autoplay and features that speed up play. Also banned were sounds and images that gave the false impression of winning. Operators were also required to clearly display total losses and time played for each session.
According to the commission’s Director for Policy and Research Tim Miller: “Our assessment of the changes to online slots games has shown indications of reduced play intensity with no significant negative impacts on play or behaviors.”
The commission added that there was no evidence that the changes affected the gamblers’ enjoyment of the games.
For its study the commission used several sources for data, including its Online Tracker survey and its quarterly gambling prevalence telephone survey.
