Operators must remove features that speed up play or give the illusion of control over the outcome of the game.

Mr Shine

Newbie member
PABnononaccred
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
Location
UK
I hadn't heard about the new UKGC rules until I just tried to find a slot to play to get through some wagering and I couldn't find any autoplay. Looking at the rules it also says operators must remove features that speed up play or give the illusion of control over the outcome of the game. I assume that means there will be no more features where you can select from objects on screen but the total you're going to receive is already determined. Is that correct, all features, (like Age of the Gods for example where it will always give you 3 Hades when it wants to, regardless of what you pick; and all Blueprint games will no longer be available?)
 
Last edited:
UKGC really do not seem to be there to look out for the interests of players- they have zero mandate for their actions as they are never, ever, part of the debate come election time, therefore they have no right to do anything as far as I'm concerned.

That said, I HATE games which make you pick, for example, how many FS you'll get when, I'm certain, in most cases, this has been decided before you select one of the options so overall, I'm not against removing these capabilities - if my FS range between say 7 and 15 and I get to pick, I simply want it to say how many I have, not waste my time making me select for the sake of it.
 
The thing is, all the UK facing casinos that have just removed the auto spins are still running games like the Blueprint ones, where in the feature they blatantly offer you a choice that is completely meaningless. If the new regulation doesn't cut out games with that behaviour, then what does it do?
 
That would affect a rather large number of slots if that's the case. Not that I was ever enamoured with 'Pick Me' features, as I recall them being so predetermined and gimped on some slots that I knew they're put in merely for show. I believe it was some Hasselhoff slot where you'd never attain the best loot, the pr***s

But on some other games these features are pretty much integral to the overall gameplay, like the Irish Luck/ Penguin Vacation and that Dolphin game, whatever it was called back in the day. Blue Oyster? Basically around five selections and the player picks two, for multiplier and free spin amount.

I guess those types of games are being phased out for gambling safety, huh. Whilst other companies get to make ridiculous OTT sounds & lights shows that aren't there to entrance players whatsoever :laugh:
 
Gone, but can just as well be replaced with options that offer genuine random choices and outcomes. Which would be better for all concerned, really.
 
That would affect a rather large number of slots if that's the case. Not that I was ever enamoured with 'Pick Me' features, as I recall them being so predetermined and gimped on some slots that I knew they're put in merely for show. I believe it was some Hasselhoff slot where you'd never attain the best loot, the pr***s

But on some other games these features are pretty much integral to the overall gameplay, like the Irish Luck/ Penguin Vacation and that Dolphin game, whatever it was called back in the day. Blue Oyster? Basically around five selections and the player picks two, for multiplier and free spin amount.

I guess those types of games are being phased out for gambling safety, huh. Whilst other companies get to make ridiculous OTT sounds & lights shows that aren't there to entrance players whatsoever :laugh:


I'd have thought, and hoped, that from a regulatory point of view, these games where the outcome of the selection is truly random would be allowed to continue, perhaps even thrive as, from a gameplay point of view, they can be quite good. As you say, its where it is pre-determined that it is an issue - not good for play and deceptive.
 
I'd have thought, and hoped, that from a regulatory point of view, these games where the outcome of the selection is truly random would be allowed to continue, perhaps even thrive as, from a gameplay point of view, they can be quite good. As you say, its where it is pre-determined that it is an issue - not good for play and deceptive.

It's a bit like the fruit machines issue of a few years back; "this game may offer you a gamble which you cannot win" makes sense in the context of a skill game as fruits pertain to be. Online slots are a different animal (even those that mimic fruits), and as such I can see the argument to remove the pretence of a "skill" or "choice" where the game has already made its decision on the outcome.
 
It all starts becoming rather muddled and grey I feel. First off, I'm not sure how developers would incorporate a truly random feature into a bottlenecked e.g 94% game.

Nor am I sure how allowing the player that 'choice' in a Pick Me feature isn't an illusion of control, as they're still aiming to actively gain an advantage in the game, knowing their 'controlled' selection could aid or hinder their progress.....
 
Essentially, what the UKGC ideal for games is something like NetEnt's Blitz mode. Place your stake, get told if you have a win.

Might as well just have a black and white page with "Spin" and "You won/lost x" as the result.
 
Is there a thread explaining EXACTLY what the new rules are for UK casino slots?
I have noticed the autoplay of course and well its fine an autoclicker is easy to install.
The profit loss widget, again fine, makes you leave a cold slot a lot sooner.
No win music or animations on wins less than 1X I agree with this as flashy golden count ups for a .5Xwin was always annoying
Are there any more rules going on under the hood so to speak?
 
Gone, but can just as well be replaced with options that offer genuine random choices and outcomes. Which would be better for all concerned, really.

And how those games should have been done in the first place.......
For example on a game that has a pick 3 boxes for a cash value etc that has 10x 20x and 30x

the average is 20x overall, and long term thats what a player will win with a random unbiased legit pick so why impose a value the player hasn't picked? Just lazy on the coders part, but i also accept that some games just wouldnt be able to fit the math this way compared to a pre determined pick, so can see why on some games.

Although with the new rules I would say its a possibility that the fact on WWTBAM that it shows the correct answer as always correct when collected would fall foul of compliance now if not before TBH........ esp if the pick you go for is indeed genuine which I do believe it is @Big Time Gaming

Unlike my version that tells you the real answer when you collect :lolup::D

Wrong.jpg
 
Last edited:
As I understand it the 'illusion of control over the outcome of a game' part is related to slam-stop, where the player can press spin to stop the reels before they land. The UKGC (or most probably someone who works there who's never played a slot game in their life and never will) believe some players think they can skilfully stop the reels at a certain point and influence their landing positions, when that of course isn't the case. I don't believe it's got anything to do with pick-features being predetermined.

There's a line of text you have to include in some jurisdictions if the true odds are not reflected - for example a pick-feature that is presented as a 1 in 3 chance but is in fact weighted underneath - along the lines of 'the chance of picking one outcome over the other is not 1 in x'.

On the subject of slam-stop, why the fuck couldn't they have just made providers add a line of text in the rules that says 'stopping the reels early does not influence the result of a game'? But then there's no point banning turbo play and still allowing slam-stop.

Either way the UKGC have fucked it and I'll be pulling my money out of my online accounts and reducing my play by probably 90% from here on in. Which coincidentally is what most slots will end up paying in terms of RTP before long due to loss of revenue.

Let's take a moment to give the UKGC a big round of applause for keeping the minorities safe at the expense of the vast majority. Fucking absolute pack of cunts.
😫
 
Last edited:
If you believe the Chinese in the land based casinos, rubbing the screen every single spin would make you an instant billionaire... (probably not too wise in these Covid times!)

The features that must tilt most are those jackpot selection ones, where you always manage to 'randomly' select 2 of every jackpot and then end up with the third for...minor 99.99999% of the time
 
Well I would say those are exactly ones they are on about too, yes any player with more than 2 brain cells can tell that its not true odds when you have 4 progressives and only 12 to choose from which could imply they are equal chance, when clearly they are not and cannot be, math wise.

A simple fix to those is it triggers a progressive as normal and just displays "LOWEST POT WON" etc which as you rightly say is most of the time, without the need for the player to fake pick their way to the POT awarded.
 
I guess the game blood suckers is non compliant now as well as that clearly is pre determined picks for the coffins, same as stake logic's clone of it?

I bet there is hundreds of games affected actually.......
 
It all starts becoming rather muddled and grey I feel. First off, I'm not sure how developers would incorporate a truly random feature into a bottlenecked e.g 94% game.

Nor am I sure how allowing the player that 'choice' in a Pick Me feature isn't an illusion of control, as they're still aiming to actively gain an advantage in the game, knowing their 'controlled' selection could aid or hinder their progress.....

Incorporating a truly random feature would be no different on a 98% as a 94% game. You could just take 4% off another part of the slot and have the feature be identical on both.

I would say that if a pick me is genuine eg the picks are seeded beforehand and "locked in" and can't change when a player makes their selection/s then there is no illusion of control, they actually "do" have control of the outcome which as far as I can tell is allowed. All the slot designer has to do is calculate the overall odds of each out come and make it fit the required RTP etc.
 
Exactly. The "illusion of control" picks are just bells and whistles to add to the fun. Which we're not allowed anymore.

Interestingly, Rick & Morty Megaways disappeared from a few sites last night (though it's back now.) I wonder if they took advice, given you pick the bonus on that?

(And even then, is it an illusion of control if you're picking the type of bonus from a set of three? They may all pay out exactly the same, it's just you picking your favoured bells and whistles.)

What a shitshow that rule is.
 
Well its my understanding that for example on DOA2 each bonus is equal average paying,( could be wrong on that tho) and has to be due to if they weren't and a player always picked one it would in theory not hit RTP.

However on games where you pick a feature randomly they could be all different but would still have the average overall on x amount of bonuses.

As you say its a bit of a shitshow and not just a simple rule, it could get quite complex to whats allowed or not........ but did you expect any less from the muppets at the UKGC ?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Meister Ratings

Back
Top