UK Proposes £2-5 Digital Slots Limit, Activists Say It’s Not Enough

The UK government continues to reform its gambling laws, in line with the white paper, which was published almost a year ago. One of the new measures to protect the players is the digital slot machine limit, which would limit how much customers can spend per spin. According to The Guardian, this change could potentially cost the industry hundreds of millions of pounds.

The new limit is set to be announced on Friday and will prevent young adults (under the age of 25) from spending more than £2 per spin. Older players, on the other hand, will have a higher limit of £5 per spin.

Pro-gambling parties and industry specialists told The Guardian that the DCMS should introduce more details shortly. However, many are certain that it would reduce the revenues players take from digital slots.

Currently, there is no limit on how much players can wager by spin. As a result, the industry rakes in more than £3 billion a year. However, since the digital slots vertical also carries one of the highest rates of addiction, the British government believes that player protection should come first.

Initially, the government proposed a range of £2-£15, followed by the white paper proposal which instead suggested a limit of £8.5. The latter measure alone, according to experts, would have cost the UK gambling industry some £185 million. The potential losses caused by a £2-£5 limit are likely to be much more severe.

Still Not Enough, Activists Say

While the measure may deprive the industry of hundreds of millions of pounds and received praise by activists, some believe that it still isn’t enough. According to Labour MP Carolyn Harris, £2 per spin should be the limit for all players. She accused the government of siding with the industry and asked it to “rethink” its stance.

Meanwhile, Liz Ritchie, co-founder of Gambling With Lives, a charity organized by people bereaved by gambling suicide, said that the industry shouldn’t present this as harm to their profit margin when it is harming millions of families trying to “cope with addiction caused by toxic gambling products.”

The government has lost another opportunity to stop the harm caused by high stake sizes, and the truth is that many more people will die.

Liz Ritchie, co-founder, Gambling With Lives

In addition to a stake limit, the government continues to discuss the highly controversial affordability checks measure. According to pro-industry campaigners, the measure would make gambling unsustainable for those who enjoy it safely. Others say that alarmists fail to properly understand what the checks are all about.