The UK Gambling Commission has confirmed it will implement a revised compliance framework for land-based gaming machines following a major industry consultation.
The consultation paper, launched last year, gathered a total of 1,065 responses from across the industry, covering a significant range of regulatory topics.
Areas addressed in the consultation included the Gaming Machine Technical Standards, the Gaming Machine Testing Strategy, and the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice.
The Commission confirmed it will proceed with a number of changes, though several modifications were applied based on the feedback received from respondents.
The most significant outcome of the process is that existing gaming machines will be excluded from the incoming standards entirely, addressing widespread concern over costs.
Businesses had raised concerns with the Commission about the high costs that technical upgrades would have imposed on operators had existing machines been brought into scope.
From 30 June 2027, all new category B gaming machines must incorporate a range of responsible gaming design features to comply with updated GMTS and LCCP standards.
Manufacturers and operators will be required to ensure machines provide improved access to gambling management tools, displaying total playing time and net position in real-time.
The new standards will also require games to only display celebratory mechanics when an award exceeds the stake size, preventing misleading near-miss style feedback for players.
Additionally, the option to initiate a turbo spin, quick spin, or slam stop will be fully prohibited across all affected machine categories under the new rules.
The changes will apply to category B2 fixed-odds betting terminals, B3 and B4 fruit and slot-style machines, and B1 casino machines.
The Commission has also moved to amend the definition of a session, ensuring it reflects actual gameplay time rather than interactions such as depositing, menu navigation, or other unrelated machine activity.
