The Redesign of Slots – Everything You Need to Know

Posted by Harry Kane on Thursday, September 17, 2020

When it comes to regulating and legislating in the online gambling market, there appears to be a clear focus on slot gaming at present. While the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Gambling-related Harm may have proposed capping online slot wagers at just £2, however, the UKGC is currently focused on redesigning such games as a way of safeguarding vulnerable consumers nationwide. What’s more, the regulator is actively seeking public input on how to redesign online slots and effectively achieve this objective. We’ll explore this below, while asking whether it can prevent widespread legislative action in the market?

Setting the Precedent – Canvassing Opinion on the Credit Card Ban

Before we explore the recent move in detail, it’s important to know that the UKGC is increasingly inclined to engage with the public and responsible gambling lobbyists prior to making widespread changes.

To understand this further, let’s take a look at the recent credit card ban rolled out by the regulator. This came into force on April 14th, and it was inspired by various datasets and insights garnered during the previous 12 months.

More specifically, of the 10.5 million UK adults who regularly wager online, UK Finance estimated that at least 800,000 frequently used credit cards to complete deposits and gamble.

According to a separate study commissioned by the UKGC, almost 20% of all online casino deposits were made using high-interest capital borrowed on a credit card. At the same time, an estimated 22% of online gamblers using credit cards were classed as problem gamblers, with the corresponding rate for all punters just 6.6%.

Clearly, the data tells us that credit card use was directly linked to a higher rate of problem gambling in the UK, and this informed the regulator’s decision to ban this payment method across the board. However, particular operators such as the top Neteller online casinos still offer quite a lot of interesting payment methods

A survey was also carried out to gauge the opinion of players immediately following the decision to roll out the credit card ban, and it’s fair to say that the findings made for incredibly interesting reading.

More specifically, 55.65% of the 2,000 respondents surveyed agreed strongly that with the idea of banning credit cards for the purpose of wagering online, while a whopping 76.6% supported the regulator’s decision overall.

This shows that the regulator is increasingly determined to involve players and the public as a whole in its decision-making processes, with this helping to enhance the industry’s ailing reputation simultaneously and safeguard vulnerable players in the UK.

Making Slots Safer – How Will the UKGC Proceed?

Some may also argue that gauging the opinion of players will also create fresh and relevant gaming insights, which could in turn help to dissuade the government from legislating in the near-term.

In the case of reel-spinning games, and top-rated online slot bonuses the regulator is seeking out public input on precisely how to redesign specific games and ensure greater protections for vulnerable players.

This consultation will focus specifically on the core design of slots, with the primary objective of reducing the intensity of this type of gameplay and improving the flow (and accuracy) of information available to players.

The consultation is available to everyone, while it’s currently scheduled to run through September 3rd.

Of course, the decision to hold this has been driven by a number of factors, including both the increased revenues generated by slots and the advent of a £2 betting cap proposed by the APPG for Gambling-related Harm.

The immersive and often branded nature of this vertical also drives a relatively high average spend in relation to the number of active players. Slots are also known to include a host of features which can combine to increase the intensity of gameplay, such as lucrative bonus rounds and the use of stacked or fixed wilds.

This poses a relatively high risk for fueling problem gambling, especially as slots become increasingly diverse and prevalent online.

Interestingly, the regulator has already published the results of various consultations with working groups in the UK, on a number of aspects of consumer protection.

The Scientific Gaming Corporation and Playtech both participated in this drive, as did the so-called ‘Experts by Experience’ group that has extensive knowledge of gambling related harm and its societal impact.

This consultation made a series of detailed recommendations, including the imposition of a minimum 2.5-second slot spin speed to actively reduce the speed of play.

Similarly, the working group suggested that the ‘spin stop’ feature (which accelerates gameplay) be removed from slots, while also proposing the elimination of split-green gameplay that enables multiple stocks on various slots.

Some limits on stake and prize money were also put forward at this time, although none were as drastic as the aforementioned £2 cap.

It was also suggested that online slot games be publicly classified according to their addictive capacity, although there remains genuine uncertainty about how titles could be categorised accurately.

The public will now have the opportunity to weigh in on these recommendations, while also making their own proposals and providing a wider perspective on the alternative aspects of slot design.

On a final note, the UKGC also wants to remove sound and visual effects that distort the gambling experience, primarily by celebrating losses and distinguishing these as wins.

This is a significant proposal, as slots often use such gameplay features to promote various gambling fallacies and encourage more aggressive betting behaviour.

The Last Word

Of course, this type of consultation is part of a wider movement in the iGaming space, as the regulator moves to evolve the marketplace and ensure that vulnerable players are safeguarded at all times.

This comes at a pivotal role for online gambling in the UK, particularly with Parliament increasingly keen to legislate market activity and impose stringent caps on betting and prizes.

With this in mind, taking proactive steps to safeguard players could help to appease legislators in the UK, enabling operators to maintain their growth without compromising on their players’ wellbeing.