Online Slot Limits in the UK have been set to £ 2.00 and £ 5.00 for two different age groups. How will this affect live dealer casino gaming? (Image Courtesy of Playtech)
Live casino table games and virtual table game betting limits remain unchanged despite new online slot limits for UK casinos operating online.
The new online slot regulations to limit UK players under 24 to a maximum of £ 2.00 per spin and over 25s a maximum of £ 5.00 per spin has been met with mixed feelings.
High rollers certainly will not be happy with the new development. Yet, it is unclear if these limits are open to change pending affordability checks – something I remember reading, but for my life, I can’t remember where!
However, the official UK government news report confirming a new £2 maximum stake for under 25s playing online slots came out on 23 Feb 2024.
Either way, the continuous changes to the UK Gambling Act over the years have hit online casinos operating under UKGC licensing hard. Yet, despite the substantial financial hits, UK gambling is still a lucrative market for casinos and sports betting, and even bingo, for that matter. It boasts the largest number of gamblers in a regulated market compared to others globally.
Changes to gambling rules have seen casinos like Energy, Mansion, and LVBet leave the UK market. Also, Genesis Global, which owned several online casinos, shut down. Yet, some top casinos and sports betting sites still offer live dealer games. And despite 1% levies to help the HNS, tech costs rising to implement AML, responsible gambling checks, KYC processes, and affordability checks; the UK online gambling market is still a lucrative industry.
Our Livecasinocentral best UK casino guide is staying up-to-date with the new rule changes, and we will continue to amend the page as we hear about new rules. For now, I can confirm that the new rules appear to target online slots. However, if you want to read more, below I will discuss how changes to the UK Gambling Act may affect live dealer games in the future.
How will the new online slot limits affect live casino gaming in the UK?
There has been no mention of table games like blackjack, roulette, Baccarat, poker, or game shows having bet limits applied. With that being said, live dealer online slot games from Evolution (formerly Evolution Gaming), Playtech, and OnAir Entertainment will likely need to adhere to these limits.
Do live dealer slots count as online slots?
You are probably thinking the same as me. Yes! Of course, they do. But I wonder if there is a loophole somewhere that will allow UK live casino platforms to get away with offering max bets above the £ 2.00 and £ 5.00 per spin limits. At least for a short while, anyway.
Maybe, but probably not. Even if there is a loophole, it won’t take long for the UKGC to shut it down. We also have to bear in mind that the 2019 ban on auto spins and quick spins spills over to live casino slots hosted by UK online casinos. Also, the 2.5-second rule per spin rule applies. Therefore, I am sure the £ 2.00 and £ 5.00 per spin bet limits apply.
Adding to this, I have reported on the UKGC’s reasoning behind some of the fines it has dished out to online casinos. These fines were certainly open to appeal because the rules of the regulator’s framework were definitely open to interpretation. I am talking about operators being fined because of rules broken by third-party B2B aggregators’ services they were using for casino or sports betting.
The company in question was 888 Holdings in which William Hill received a whopping £ 19.2 million fine. The company argued it was a third party responsible, but the UKGC was having none of it. Despite 888 Holdings’ best efforts to quash the fines, the UKGC stood its ground. What’s bizzarre about this, is that after the fine was issued, the UKGC said at the bottom of its to William Hill Group £19.2m fine press release it says:
“Additional licence conditions will also be added to ensure a business board member oversees an improvement plan, and that it undergoes a third-party audit to assess that it is effectively implementing its AML and safer gambling policies, procedures and controls“.
Even if live casino slots somehow fall under some loophole and don’t need to apply max bet limits, it will be short-lived because the UKGC will just add the rule afterwards and still uphold its fine, which leaves software providers and casinos opening themselves up to fines if they don’t change the bet limits on their live slot games.
Why are live game shows not limited to £ 2.00 and £ 5.00 per spin?
I think most game shows fall under the radar simply because there is at least a 20-second to 30-second space between betting rounds. If you include bonus games, the average number of big wheel spins per hour is nowhere near as high as online slots, especially on games like Crazy Time and Adventures Beyond Wonderland, where 4 bonus rounds trigger with some regularity.
Playtech, Evolution, Pragmatic Play Live, Skywind Group and other top live games software providers operating in the UK may have to start looking over their shoulders because Wheel of Fortune games could be next.
Why are live table games not limited to £ 2.00 and £ 5.00 per bet?
Pretty much the same as wheel of fortune game shows, when you play traditional table games, the game rounds last much longer compared to online slots. Also, some live dealer games like Blackjack come with a high RTP so the lower house edge may not attract the attention of the UKGC. And there is an element of skill involved in decision-making using basic strategy. Yet, there have also been rumours that the UKGC may ban ‘Speed’ versions of various table games. That would mean no more speed roulette, speed blackjack, Instant Roulette, speed baccarat and other games that offer more rabid gameplay.
I believe any casino games involving the ability to gamble faster will be on the British regulatory authority’s radar.
Leave A Comment