For many years, the United Kingdom has been one of the leading markets in the rapidly growing online casino industry. Since 2005, the UK has had a clear and regulated framework for online casino game play that begins with the requirements of an individual or group to fulfil to obtain a license to make an online casino platform public and affects the levels of security integrated onto the platform and the games available to the playing public.
However, in the past couple of years, the stance of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), who work together with the UK government to maintain and monitor the online gambling industry in the UK, has shifted slightly to take the protection of players when operating online more seriously. In 2019, bonus buy games, which allowed players to accelerate the game play and buy bonus rounds with higher multipliers, were banned. This was swiftly followed by the banning of credit card use on online gambling platforms.
In introducing these two measures, the groundwork was laid for more protective initiatives to follow. But it was not until 2024 that the UKGC picked up where they left off and announced more regulations to reemphasise their intention to reduce the risk of gambling addiction and financial harm.
Raising Awareness of Addiction
In February 2024, it was announced that wagering limits would be placed on online slots games from September 2024 in a bid to help players control their spending. However, there was an underlying tone to this initiative and the financial affordability checks that were announced later in May 2024. By limiting adults over the age of 25 to a maximum £5 bet per spin, with players aged between 18-24 only able to wager a maximum of £2, the UKGC were sending a message on the risk of overspending and the main subject at hand, gambling addiction.
The affordability checks were another measure to reinforce the idea of financial awareness on online gambling platforms. The idea of authorities rifling through sensitive financial information if a loss threshold was hit was indirectly meant to act as a deterrent or warning for players to pay more attention to their online gambling activity. Initially, this led to a raft of players exploring other options like those at a non-UK casino to find unrestricted game play. However, despite the restrictions put in place, the UK continues to thrive in the online casino industry with a projected market volume of nearly £12 billion for 2025.
UK continues to set an example
Since online casinos became the next thing to break the world of online entertainment, the UK has very much been at the forefront in terms of revenue and market size. However, while other markets emerge in the online casino market to try and replicate a small amount of the UK’s success, the UK has also been an example to look towards off the virtual gaming floor as it looks to combat new concerns and threats in the digital world.
