February 21, 2019

After much discussion, the UK Gambling Commission (“Commission“) has today invited members of the public, gambling businesses and other stakeholders to provide their views on the issue of gambling online with credit cards and, separately, on improving player control measures on all Category B gaming machines.

Last year the Commission backed the principle that consumers should not gamble with money they do not have and as a result the Commission today launched the call for evidence on gambling with credit.  This is effectively a consultation that seeks to obtain any information that will enable the Commission to develop a comprehensive picture of gambling with credit cards as well as understanding if there are any effective harm prevention measures that might serve as robust alternatives to prohibiting or restricting gambling with credit cards.  Once the Commission has processed this information, it will advise on what restrictions, potentially including an outright ban, are necessary to limit risks to consumers.

In April, the maximum stake on Category B2 gaming machines (Fixed Odds Betting Terminals) will be reduced from £100 to £2. However, data received indicates that the risks associated with Category B1 and B3 machines are broadly similar to the risks with B2 machines at a £100 maximum stake.  As a result the Commission have launched their call for evidence on player protections on Category B gaming machines which will review more recent data to evaluate changes in player behaviour before and after the B2 stake reduction. This will help the Commission identify whether problematic play on B2 gaming machines has been diverted onto other category B machines. Additionally, the consultation aims to explore options to conduct further analysis in the longer term to monitor the impact of player protection controls on Category B machines.

Further information on this can be found here.