The UK Gambling Commission has confirmed a new set of regulations for category B gaming machines following a formal consultation process.
The changes are designed to make machines safer and fairer for players across the country, with implementation set to begin in earnest from June 2027.
Under the new rules, category B machines must provide consumers with improved access to gambling management tools and clearer sessional information during play.
Sessional information will allow players to see exactly how long they have been playing and how much they have won or lost at any given point.
Licensees will also have access to this data to help meet their regulatory obligations around identifying and interacting with players who show signs of harm.
Existing machines are exempt from the new regulations due to the technical and financial difficulties that would come with retroactive implementation.
Helen Rhodes, director of major policy projects at the regulator, commented: “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.”
The new rules also introduce design-level changes to games, including a ban on celebrating prizes that fall below the value of the original stake placed by the player.
Any features that allow users to reduce the time until they see a result will also be prohibited, with one identified example being a roulette game where players could skip part of a ten-second animation to receive their result in just three seconds.
The consultation was first published in January 2025 in connection with the 2023 white paper, which set out the UKGC’s objective of reviewing gaming machine technical standards comprehensively.
More than 1,000 responses were received during the consultation period, with much of the concern focused around direct costs associated with the proposals and potential impacts on consumer journeys.
Where feedback from stakeholders highlighted legitimate and evidenced concerns, the Commission made adjustments to the final package of changes before confirming the regulations.
UKGC senior policy manager Graham Burgin published a blog outlining the impact of the new regulations and urging all stakeholders to begin planning ahead of their implementation date.
