Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Accepted
Paragraph: 49
Set online slots stake limits to match land-based machines and not exceed £5
Recommendation
The high degree of accessibility of online slots negates the additional protection provided by account-based play. Setting a limit for online slots at the same level as Category B gaming machines, at between £2 and £5, takes account of the risk of harm and will impact only around 1% of gamblers. We recommend that stake limits for online slots should match those for electronic gaming machines in land- based venues and not exceed £5.
Government Response Summary
The government has confirmed the introduction of statutory maximum stake limits of £5 per spin for adults over 25 and £2 per spin for young adults aged 18-24, aligning with the committee's recommendation. These limits will take effect in September via new licence conditions.
Paragraph Reference:
49
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Regarding online slots, in February, we published our response to the consultation on maximum stake limits. Our response confirmed the introduction of a statutory maximum stake limit of £5 per spin for adults aged 25 and over and a statutory maximum stake limit of £2 per spin for young adults aged 18 to 24. These limits align with the limits of between £2 and £5 as recommended by the Committee and more closely align to those available in casinos. We believe these limits will achieve the government’s stated objectives of reducing the risk of gambling-related harm, with a lower risk of unintended consequences and less disruption to the majority of gamblers who do not suffer harm. Following Parliamentary approval, these stake limits will take effect in September this year via new licence conditions set by the Secretary of State on remote gambling operators, which the Gambling Commission will then be responsible for enforcing. We expect there to be a minimum six week transition period for operators to introduce a £5 stake limit for all customers. We will then allow a further six weeks for the development of any necessary technical solutions before we expect the lower stake limit of £2 for young adults aged 18 to 24 to be in place. This phased approach gives acknowledgement to the development of any technical solutions by operators which may be required for age-based limits. Following this transition period, if operators are unable to develop solutions to adequately distinguish between customers who are 25 and over and those who are under 25, the expectation is that they will not be able to offer any customers stakes exceeding £2 per spin.