Online gambling has thrust the industry into the mainstream and because of this, the entire business has come under extra scrutiny. This is to be expected because millions of people are now regularly gambling because of the convenience and privacy offered by online slots.
Gambling is now highly regulated and casino brands have to jump through hoops before they are granted a UK gambling license. It is because of the boom in online slots gambling, which can be traced back to 1996, that strict licensing laws have come into play.
Before these laws came into existence, online gambling was a little reminiscent of swimming in shark-filled waters. The punters were the victims, and the sharks were the unlicensed casino operators who invented their own rules. Thankfully, the creation of the UK Gambling Commission has driven out and shut down most casinos operating online in the UK that did not have a license.
The UK Gambling Commission
The UK Gambling Commission licenses and regulates all forms of gambling in the UK. This includes betting shops, arcades, bingo, slot games, slot game providers, and the gambling software that these games are played on. The slot games themselves are tested by the developers and then again by the commission. The games are then purchased by various online casinos and slot testing labs such as eCOGRA test the games for performance and fairness if invited to do so. If third-party testing labs like eCOGRA and iTech Labs are asked to monitor slot games, it gives punters an added layer of reassurance that the games they can play are fair.
Latest Developments
The main monitor of all things gambling in the UK is still the UK Gambling Commission and new laws will be brought in soon that mainly affect slot sites. These have been enforced by the commission after a review into online slot casinos and player habits. Some of these laws are already live, whilst others will be introduced later in the year.
The major changes include at least 2.5 seconds of space in between each slot spin. This slows down gameplay somewhat, but the main game-changer is the abolition of the autoplay feature on slots. It is thought that this encourages players to complete a high volume of spins in a small amount of time. When the auto spin feature is active, large amounts of money can be lost, without players even realizing this.
Other Changes
Slot game sound effects do not usually come into mind when you think of what might be on the top of the UK Gambling Commission hit list, but this time round they are. Any positive or dramatic sound effects or music relating to a spin that didn’t produce a win will also be removed from slot games. Finally, reversing withdrawals and pending periods on withdrawals are being phased out, therefore once a withdrawal has been requested, customers will no longer have the option to reverse their decision. Many think these are minor adjustments and what the monitors of slot sites need to do is to lower maximum bets considerably.
