UKGC Makes Changes To Regulations For Online Slots In 2022

Freebets and other offers are a popular feature on many UK sites and platforms. However, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is set to make changes to the gambling regulations - updates that could potentially affect free bets and other bonuses for online slot machines.

The UKGC is a body that was established by the UK Government on 1 November 2005 to monitor and regulate gambling. The UK Government took steps to form the UKGC after the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) recommended the regulation of all types of gambling in Great Britain.

By the end of 2021, the UKGC looks set to make the most significant change to its regulatory framework since 2005's Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act, which has been the foundation of the UK gambling legislation for more than 15 years. It seems the new rules will set stricter boundaries for online casinos, potentially making them more expensive to run.

There have been a number of proposals made for regulating and improving regulations for online gambling in terms of online slots. The UKGC's research has determined that online slots contribute to the highest average losses per player of any form of gambling. The goal of the new regulations is to foster a healthier and fairer gambling environment by implementing some changes to the way online slot machines operate.

The regulations include ensuring that slots are kept spinning for a minimum of 2.5 seconds. Autoplay and Quickspin features will be deemed illegal, and misleading sound effects and animations that can imply a player is winning will also be banned.

Online slots have been found to be a significant source of problems in gambling because of their fast and addictive nature, which typically results in players playing them more often and for longer periods. With the new 2.5-second spin proposal, the Commission hopes to reduce the number of games a person is able to play within an hour.

Challenges Outlined By The Proposal

As with any proposed changes, there are a series of challenges ahead for the industry.

The amendments to the legislation have been proposed because the previous regulations no longer have the capacity to deal with the current levels of technology and innovation introduced into online gambling, and today's widespread use of the Internet to promote freebets and other bonuses.

One of the ways that this problem is to be tackled is to hire a new Chief Product Officer and more specialist staff for the Gambling Commission. These new roles will have the responsibility to navigate through online gambling. Aside from strengthening the Commission's workforce, new tools and methods are also to be introduced at the regulator, such as using big data and analytics to increase efficiency in terms of measuring and checking adherence to future regulations.

UKGC also aims to fight unlicensed operators and the black market. They are addressing these issues by increasing manpower to combat illegal gambling and adopting the legal authority to prosecute the offenders and criminals directly.

If these changes are implemented, the Commission will be more agile and have more leverage in terms of identifying which online gambling setups are illegal. They will be able to directly address the problem without assistance from the police or the justice system, which will fast-track the process and provide faster solutions.

The Future Of Online Slots In The UK In 2022

Online gambling has become riskier because of the introduction and integration of various technologies. One of these includes the adoption of crypto gambling. With this new type of gambling, crime is much more prevalent because it is far easier to hide money earned from illegal activities. What's more, the authorities would need high levels of specialist knowledge in cryptography and computer science to be able to follow the blockchain trail once identified.

It's no surprise, then, that every time the legislation surrounding gambling is reviewed, the regulations become ever more strict. But the Commission claims that this is in everyone's best interests, as not only will it protect gamblers from the worst excesses of their habit, but it will also protect casinos that might otherwise attract these problem gamblers.

The Commission also guarantees that vulnerable people will henceforth receive better consumer protection to prevent them from spending all their money at once, which will overall result in a better and healthier gambling system.

The Regulations

In addition to new regulations governing the spin time, autoplay, quickplay, and sound effects and animation of slot machines, there are several other proposals that the UKGC plans to implement for online slots.

If these are brought into force, probably the most noticeable change will be the aesthetics of slot machines. It's expected that the changes will make playing online slot machines a duller and slower experience than they were previously. However, the risk of deception that can be caused by sensory overload in the current landscape will be minimised for gamblers. This is not just more ethical, but healthier as well.

There will also be a ban on reverse withdrawal, which currently allows gamblers to cancel withdrawal requests in order to continue using their winnings to gamble further. This rule is designed to reduce the opportunities to get drawn into binge gambling. The implementation of the change in 2022 will hopefully shorten gambling sessions and convince more gamblers to exit the online casino after winning.

Perhaps the most significant change proposed will be establishing more interaction between operators and their customers to encourage healthy playstyles. Thereâs no law at present that oversees the interaction between operators and their customers. Staff members are only encouraged to intervene if there is obvious unhealthy gambling behaviour on the part of the customer.

Next year's online gambling experience is expected to be more interactive and could open up the need to promote further customer support. However, it is still unclear whether the change will mean that support staff should proactively reach out to gamblers who they think might need help, or simply reply to players who request their advice. If it's the former, then it's entirely possible that there will be a list of criteria that would be regarded as "red flags" and trigger action regarding players and cases that need human intervention.

Online gambling in the UK is sure to face plenty of changes once the regulations are finalised and implemented. Slots are expected to become slower and quieter, and it's doubtful that they will ever revert back to the more visually stimulating designs used in the past.

Get Free Bets Fast

The online gambling industry experienced a massive surge during the lockdowns in 2020, which has been a prompt for discussions on how to address the shortcomings of casinos online. As the UKGC continues to seek to protect players, companies within the industry are also making strides to improve their customers' experience.

Your Free Bet is one of the most prominent free bets platforms on the Internet and has been the go-to site for both first-time and seasoned players alike. We offer various tools and information that help guide players in making the best decisions when it comes to their gambling hobby. We also regularly post promotions and the best offers available to competitors every day.

All the information we gather on gambling in the UK comes from reliable sources so that you can play with confidence and enjoyment. If you are interested in what we have to offer or have any questions, call us on 01723 643020 or email us at info@yourfreebet.com.