UK Gambling Commission Finalizes Safer Gaming Machine Rules for 2027

BIRMINGHAM, England – The UK Gambling Commission has finalized new gaming machine standards aimed at reducing harm. New Category B machines will have to provide clearer session information and improved access to gambling-management tools.

The changes will allow consumers to see how long they have been playing and their net financial position during a session. Operators will also gain access to session data intended to support regulatory duties such as identifying and interacting with customers showing signs of gambling harm.

The Gambling Commission said the measures follow consultation on proposals stemming from the UK government’s 2023 Gambling Act Review White Paper, which set out a wider program of gambling reform.

New Machines Will Provide More Session Information

Under the finalized standards, new Category B gaming machines must improve access to tools that allow consumers to manage their gambling. Sessional information will include elapsed playing time and how much a customer has won or lost, giving players a clearer view of their activity while they are gambling.

The rules also introduce game-design changes. Awards worth less than the amount staked must not be celebrated, while features that allow players to shorten the time before a game result is known will be prohibited.

The Commission said the changes are intended to make machine play more transparent while giving licensees additional information to support customer interactions. Existing machines will be exempt from requirements that would otherwise require complex and potentially costly technical modifications.

“These measures will help both to empower consumers to understand and manage their gambling and ensure operators play their part.”

Helen Rhodes
Director of Major Policy Projects and Evaluation, Gambling Commission

Consultation Feedback Changes Final Rules

The standards follow a consultation launched in January 2025 covering gaming machine technical standards, safer gambling tools and testing requirements. The Commission received more than 1,000 responses, including industry data, consumer research and evidence on implementation costs.

Feedback led the regulator to modify several original proposals. Existing machines were removed from some requirements, while the Commission adopted a revised approach to displaying session information and adjusted when staff alerts would be triggered to reduce the risk of alert fatigue.

Consumers will also be able to hide certain session information after a minimum period during a break in play, a change intended to address privacy concerns while retaining access to gambling-management information.

“Consultation feedback from a range of stakeholders helped to inform our thinking and where there was legitimate and evidenced concern, we made changes. We are confident that the consultation has led to a package of changes where the benefits to consumers are proportionate to the costs of implementation and that the staged timeline for implementation is reasonable and achievable.”

Helen Rhodes
Director of Major Policy Projects and Evaluation, Gambling Commission

Most Changes Take Effect in June 2027

The Commission will introduce the standards in stages rather than through a single implementation date. A new gaming machine session definition is due to take effect on March 30, 2027, with most of the technical and consumer-facing changes following on June 30.

Staff-alert requirements will receive a longer implementation period because of the technical work involved in connecting machines with operator systems. The Commission’s implementation update sets an Oct. 3, 2028 deadline for that element.

The regulator is now urging manufacturers, operators and other businesses responsible for gaming-machine compliance to begin preparing for the new standards. The staged rollout gives the Commission time to collect data before and after implementation and assess how the changes affect machine play and consumer protection.

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