What does the future hold for UK gamers?

Valhalla

Ueber Meister
Joined
Jan 17, 2014
Location
Northern Ireland
As many regulars to this forum will know, I'm kinda like the full moon; I appear, then I'm gone for a while, then I appear, gone... etc.
This is largely in line with my casino habits; I'll play for a while, then set 6-week breaks on my accounts and stay away for some considerable time before I get the urge for a flutter and come back (usually after much longer than the 6 weeks).

The problem is, it seems every time I come back the UK-licensed casinos are worse. Auto play is removed, bet sizing is reduced, games are removed, bonus-buying is gone, KYC is horribly intrusive, SOW is up the whazoo, more and more rules and restrictions are being added, and more fun is being removed.
What in the actual feck is going on? It seems like the UKGC is run by people who have never actually played online casinos, and they are just pulling ideas out of a suggestion box and applying them as regulations for players. I'm genuinely so jealous of people in mainland Europe who - unless I'm wrong - can just go to an online casino and play however they see fit, the way WE used to play just a couple of years ago. The good old days, God help me.

Things are getting so bad I wouldn't be surprised if all we're left with soon is a live feed of a "tuppenny" coin pusher arcade game where we have a strict 10-coin limit each month and have to provide proof of where we got the 20p to begin with.

What is really driving all this change? It can't be money - because we're being forced to spend less, thus less players, less income taxes generated etc. This is a rapidly reducing system where the end game can only be an end to online gaming at all in the UK. But why? Why is it going in this direction?
 
Indeed, it appears to be ever-worsening...

I recall spurning this pastime towards the end of 2020, when things had already turned sour, and yet compared to today's prohibitions, they could almost be seen as having been 'the good old days' :p

No one knows what the governing bodies' end game is, as slotting is constantly being tampered with on the fly, so that in the end it detracts from the players' enjoyment a little more with every passing month.

I think we're seeing a lot of self-correction and overcompensation, in the sense that one could argue that whilst 'regulated', your average punter would have no issues 'way back when' in being able to sign up anywhere willy-nilly, gamble as much as they pleased with no questions asked, quick-spinning their wages away without a care in the world.

Now we're seeing some of those issues addressed. but going a little too far. And thus they've gone down the rabbit hole of prioritising player safety at the expense of gambling's spontaneity and 'risk', to the point where it's simply not gambling anymore.

Coupled with off-putting, one-size-fits-all SoW parameters that don't differentiate between 'Johnny £20 a month' and someone who splurges £££thousands, casinos and developers that prune RTP to make up their loss of revenue, and establishments chivvying us with twice- hourly 'gambling reminders' it's little surprise to anyone that the UKGC et al have overshot their authority, and are exhibiting their complete lack of expertise on all things gambling- related....

What tends to happen with people that have no real first- hand experience of the field in which they supposedly specialize in, is that inevitably it'll get run into the ground before 'better' changes come a-callin'. In its current guise, the UKGC have no end goal, no specific target to attain, no balance to strike.

It will end up with a scorched earth landscape from which another bunch will pick up the pieces, because for it to get better for the players, the whole thing will have to be re-sculpted in a post-industry crash of sorts. Until that inevitably happens, you can count me out! :cool:
 
  • The UKGC is clueless
  • The decline of UK scene is most definitely being driven by money
  • Offshore (less regulated) crypto casinos are where more of us are turning to
I’m a low stakes player, have never been SOW’d, never used auto spins, and never do bonus buys. Yet I’m playing more and more at offshore casinos from fear of one day being SOW’d. I have nothing to hide, but I’m also never giving up my financial info to an online casino. Of course offshore casinos hold their own risks as many here will point out. I’ve not had any issues to date with the three places I frequent, touch wood.

One of the biggest things I miss personally when playing at a UKGC casino is the lack of sounds for a win equal to or lower that the stake amount. The way games are these days a slot can go silent for ages (the sounds add to the enjoyment for me but others have differing opinions). If you think hard enough about it you could possibly conclude that auto spins contribute to faster betting and losing, and bonus buys allow you to spaff away your cash more quickly, but they are fairly weak arguments. But the lack of sounds for small wins? It all comes back to my first bullet above.
 
Just read it.

New regulations include:

• Not being allowed to gamble more than £11 per day

• Not being able to play the same slot for more than 18 minutes

• Handing over your entire family's financial deeds prior to loading up any session, twice on Sundays

• Blindfolding yourself so as not to be adversely affected by the addictive visuals

• All games to be set at a universal 68% RTP, so that you bust out sooner, to 'protect the player'

• Direct Debits are to be set up with an allocated UKGC 'Wellness Officer' that visits once a month, who is permitted by law to raid your fridge

• Only stakes of 9p are permitted, with 'Gambling Friend' pop-ups reminding you each time you've wagered more than £1

There's some others, but those were the most helpful ones I spotted
 
Just read it.

New regulations include:

• Not being allowed to gamble more than £11 per day

• Not being able to play the same slot for more than 18 minutes

• Handing over your entire family's financial deeds prior to loading up any session, twice on Sundays

• Blindfolding yourself so as not to be adversely affected by the addictive visuals

• All games to be set at a universal 68% RTP, so that you bust out sooner, to 'protect the player'

• Direct Debits are to be set up with an allocated UKGC 'Wellness Officer' that visits once a month, who is permitted by law to raid your fridge

• Only stakes of 9p are permitted, with 'Gambling Friend' pop-ups reminding you each time you've wagered more than £1

There's some others, but those were the most helpful ones I spotted
FFS man, you are only giving them more ideas! Delete your post instantly! 😜
 
establishments chivvying us with twice- hourly 'gambling reminders'

THIS one really annoys me. I actually really like Grosvenor; won a load of money, never had any issues there at all, withdrawals always instant, not a single problem.
Except for...

*Entire screen gets taken over by a purple pop up*
Hey there Valhalla... (waits an age)
It looks like you've been playing now for an hour... (waits another age)
Still having fun?... [Keep playing] [log out]
Ok! Have fun... (yet another age until game returns).

It's bad enough that it takes over the whole screen, but the game continues in the background if you're playing free spins. I've missed entire bonus games waiting to wade through this responsible gaming bollocks. Sometimes it appears after only a few minutes :mad:
 
Just read it.

New regulations include:

• Not being allowed to gamble more than £11 per day

• Not being able to play the same slot for more than 18 minutes

• Handing over your entire family's financial deeds prior to loading up any session, twice on Sundays

• Blindfolding yourself so as not to be adversely affected by the addictive visuals

• All games to be set at a universal 68% RTP, so that you bust out sooner, to 'protect the player'

• Direct Debits are to be set up with an allocated UKGC 'Wellness Officer' that visits once a month, who is permitted by law to raid your fridge

• Only stakes of 9p are permitted, with 'Gambling Friend' pop-ups reminding you each time you've wagered more than £1

There's some others, but those were the most helpful ones I spotted
I hear British Gas will soon be contracted to enter households without a warrant to install 'Gambling Meters'.

Await the Gas-tapo visits!
 
What is really driving all this change? It can't be money - because we're being forced to spend less, thus less players, less income taxes generated etc. This is a rapidly reducing system where the end game can only be an end to online gaming at all in the UK. But why? Why is it going in this direction?
I have to be honest... I personally know I do not have any sort of gambling problem - I am 100% in control of what I do and have the money to do it with.

But... I play for a darts team in a local pub, and 3 or 4 of our members exhibit the patterns of the problem gamblers the government is trying to protect. They are relatively low earners, but spunk away money they can ill afford.

Personally I think that being able to gamble on your mobile phone is the WORST thing that ever happened to the industry.
Even I started doing this about 3 years ago. Before that I would only play on my laptop at home. Being able to play 24/7 wherever you are is a disaster waiting to happen for those with lower self-control :(

KK
 
I have to be honest... I personally know I do not have any sort of gambling problem - I am 100% in control of what I do and have the money to do it with.

But... I play for a darts team in a local pub, and 3 or 4 of our members exhibit the patterns of the problem gamblers the government is trying to protect. They are relatively low earners, but spunk away money they can ill afford.

Personally I think that being able to gamble on your mobile phone is the WORST thing that ever happened to the industry.
Even I started doing this about 3 years ago. Before that I would only play on my laptop at home. Being able to play 24/7 wherever you are is a disaster waiting to happen for those with lower self-control :(

KK
However, at the end of the day it should still be their decision to do as they like with their money...whether they can 'ill afford' it or not.

Taking away people's financial autonomy is a slippery slope to go down.
 
I dunno.....sometimes convenience is a liability, in the sense of everyone having their mobile, aka 'multimedia device' fused to their hand, and with the ease of use, and accessibility options of modern devices, making impulsive gambling a doddle.

I'm not even sure financial transactions should be conducted via phones at the best of times, but in terms of gambling on the go, it's detrimental and distracting, and also likely to be taken up when gambling wouldn't even be thought about otherwise.

Sometimes less is more, just like some people need protecting from themselves, and would be simply best off not knowing, or having such a leisurely means to splurge on getting their digital fix.

And whilst not foolproof, and hardened gamblers more than capable of finding whatever methods they can, including mobile gaming, and for all the technical wizardry involved in playing these games, the fact that they're 'just another app' renders mobile gaming quite dangerous, yes. I mean it's on my mobile, next to Candy Crush. So it can't be bad, can it? :laugh:
 
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I dunno.....sometimes convenience is a liability, in the sense of everyone having their mobile, aka 'multimedia device' fused to their hand, and with the ease of use, and accessibility options of modern devices, making impulsive gambling a doddle.

I'm not even sure financial transactions should be conducted via phones at the best of times, but in terms of gambling on the go, it's detrimental and distracting, and also likely to be taken up when gambling wouldn't even be thought about otherwise.

Sometimes less is more, just like some people need protecting from themselves, and would be simply best off not knowing, or having such a leisurely means to splurge on getting their digital fix.

And whilst nor foolproof, and hardened gamblers more than capable of finding whatever methods they can, including mobile gaming, and for all the technical wizardry involved in playing these games, the fact that they're 'just another app' renders mobile gaming quite dangerous, yes. I mean it's on my mobile, next to Candy Crush. So it can't be bad, can it? :laugh:
Kill two birds with one stone and play Sweet Candy Bonanza slot!
 
However, at the end of the day it should still be their decision to do as they like with their money...whether they can 'ill afford' it or not.

Taking away people's financial autonomy is a slippery slope to go down.
Yes and no. I can see both sides of the coin.
Gambling, alcoholism and drug addictions can and do ruin many, many lives. Not just the individual - but all their friends and families can be devastated too.
So I think the government is right to try to protect people from themselves, even though it's VERY frustrating for us responsible gamblers to be affected by the same rules.

It's like many other things in life. Take speed limits on our roads for example: if everyone drove sensibly and with consideration to others we wouldn't need to have speed limits at all. But because of a tiny minority who would be irresponsible drivers, we have to have limits to protect them and innocent others.

KK
 
I have to be honest... I personally know I do not have any sort of gambling problem - I am 100% in control of what I do and have the money to do it with.

But... I play for a darts team in a local pub, and 3 or 4 of our members exhibit the patterns of the problem gamblers the government is trying to protect. They are relatively low earners, but spunk away money they can ill afford.

Personally I think that being able to gamble on your mobile phone is the WORST thing that ever happened to the industry.
Even I started doing this about 3 years ago. Before that I would only play on my laptop at home. Being able to play 24/7 wherever you are is a disaster waiting to happen for those with lower self-control :(

KK
I'd have to agree with gambling on your phone it makes it far too accessible.

Being able to do it while on a break at work or sitting on the toilet is definitely a step too far.

At least if you had to be sat at PC or laptop you'd have some accountability from those around you.

Another thing is why do they allow deposits from mobile phones? I can't use a credit card to gamble anymore but I can run up a £240 bill on mobile deposits.
 
Yes, gambling on mobile phones is the gambling equivalent of crack cocaine and I can see how people can get sucked into the spiral of gambling addiction as a result. When I used to play online, like KK used to always be on my desktop or laptop.

Some of the gambling addiction documentaries on the BBC iPlayer are definitely worth a watch.
 
Yes, gambling on mobile phones is the gambling equivalent of crack cocaine and I can see how people can get sucked into the spiral of gambling addiction as a result. When I used to play online, like KK used to always be on my desktop or laptop.

Some of the gambling addiction documentaries on the BBC iPlayer are definitely worth a watch.
I have never, ever used a phone to gamble. DESKTOP OR LAPTOP ONLY.
 
You'd think then with all the focus on keeping people's gambling sensibly managed, the UKGC would take one look at mobile gaming , its accessibility and ease of use....

Knowing that just about everyone has a smartphone, and notably the younger impressionable demographic essentially living out their existence through them, kids will just conflate aesthetically pleasing slots with any of their hundreds of other apps & games.

And it matters little if the arbitrary age restriction vetoes younger folk from partaking, as the games draw them in regardless. Because after all, the likes of the UKGC care about player protection in all its forms, right? :p

Except no, they don't. Their blatant contradictions and complete anti-gambler stance is painfully apparent to anyone with eyes, and that if they were to actually address the most obvious issues with Problem Gambling people might actually think they don't have an agenda!

So mobile gaming = "nah, it's fine"

Don't be surprised if one day we'll see the UKGC ignore developers as they make electronic chips so that punters can gamble in their sleep, aka SlumberSpin, all the while as they remove more slot features to make modern slots even more unplayable!!

But as for mobile gaming itself, it takes a brave person to whip out Starburst on a packed train and not die of shame. Well done those people 👏
 
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Yes, gambling on mobile phones is the gambling equivalent of crack cocaine and I can see how people can get sucked into the spiral of gambling addiction as a result. When I used to play online, like KK used to always be on my desktop or laptop.

Some of the gambling addiction documentaries on the BBC iPlayer are definitely worth a watch.
Well maybe so but considering many more people only use hand sets these days and do not own a desktop or laptop. Its probably a generational thing. So what about those who never use anything but handhelds ? Im personally against any kind of censorship or prohibition - the latter being because it does not work as history tells us.

People ultimately have to take responsibility for their own actions. And if there was a ruling to ban gaming on handsets - (not sure how it would ever be implemented ) then that just pushes people even further offshore. Most people outside of forums dont give a damn about RG or RTP and just want to gamble when they want - and where there is the desire to do so - with a bit of homework a way will be found. Its a real shame how the Uk has ended up. I used to love firing up ye olde laptop and gamble away Jonnys college fund - sure they were issues - such as the dreaded reverse period - But the pros way out ranked the cons when comparing to todays bitterly dark casino landscape.

And the gaming industry is robust in that it was one of the industries that has survived for a long long time by being able to adapt to the times - even if crypto is crushed - the powers that be who operate on and offshore joints will find a way. They always do even if its at the expense of the lowly player.
 
Well of course prohibition works! It's simple- those found gambling on any portable device will have it seized with an on-the-spot fine, and/ or be made to stand in a public square playing Rasputin Megaways on full volume, stood only in their undercrackers!

Then after around 40 hours' worth of Community Service, said 'phone offenders' get a chance to win their device back, via a Bullseye spelling test, beamed across the nation live. If successful, they get their toy back, minus gambling app, with valuable lessons learned 🙏
 
I have to be honest... I personally know I do not have any sort of gambling problem - I am 100% in control of what I do and have the money to do it with.

But... I play for a darts team in a local pub, and 3 or 4 of our members exhibit the patterns of the problem gamblers the government is trying to protect. They are relatively low earners, but spunk away money they can ill afford.

Personally I think that being able to gamble on your mobile phone is the WORST thing that ever happened to the industry.
Even I started doing this about 3 years ago. Before that I would only play on my laptop at home. Being able to play 24/7 wherever you are is a disaster waiting to happen for those with lower self-control :(

KK

My issue with that is - as much as I see the point - they are treating everyone as a "problem gambler", even those who have plenty of disposable income to spaff on slots or whatever else. A random John Doe blowing his dole in an hour on Bet Fred, and being left skint for two weeks, is a world away from someone else with the ability to spend £5k in one session and carry on like nothing happened.

And yeah there are SOW checks which sort out who has money and who doesn't, but... that's a very dangerous precedent to set; handing over intimate financial details to online casinos, staffed with total strangers, which are prone to just going rogue at any moment.

People should be free to do whatever they choose with their own money, and the only ones checked and regulated should be the casinos themselves.
 
Is your rent / mortgage paid / up to date?
Do you owe large amounts on several credit cards or loans / car finance etc
Are you and your children (if applicable) clothed and fed

If the answers to the above match the obvious then we should be left alone to do what the heck we want with OUR money.

It is the tiny minority who abuse the situation, steal to feed their addictions, lose their homes, wife's etc that cause this huge knock-on effect where I'd confidently say 99% of us on here are more or less in control of what we do.
 
is a world away from someone else with the ability to spend £5k in one session and carry on like nothing happened.

This is by design. Obviously a tiny percentage versus problem gamblers who have largely been created by the industry, but they can disrupt if not stop profit loss and palm it off as welfare. Dunno anything about casino side, but sportsbooks are basically hostile outside of £5 mug bets.
 
UKGC are about as hypocritical as you can get.

I have a serious issue with SOW and, due to my very modest play, have yet to be asked. The key thing is that this isn’t applying for credit. They rightly removed the ability to use credit cards to gamble. This is your own money which you have earned. You should be free to do wha you want on a legal activity which this still is for the time being.

There are ever increasing ways to control and get help if you are in trouble. It should not be for the UKGC to decide what level the general public can afford. The idea that they are going to introduce a £2 limit is laughable. This going to be introduced on casino table games then?

This country needs to stop facilitating people finding everyone to blame but themselves. I am not saying that help should not be there for those that need it. We all need help at some time but you need to at least take a step yourself.

Incidentally, for context, I was addicted to fruit machines for much of my adult life and up to around 10-12 years ago had £7.5k debt, rented a cheap flat and had a habit of doing hundreds regularly in the local bookies (£1200 was my worst single session hit).

Did I expect someone else to help me by impacting all those who didn’t have my problem? Hell no. I knew I could take steps to ban myself from many gambling temptations and a combo of that and realisation of how little I had to show for my life helped me turn it around.
 
To be fair Siohmy, do you have a partner or kids depending on that money? It’s not only about those directly gambling. The problem is the UKGC just set this stuff and then job done, let’s not bother to check how it’s being applied. They’re a sleeping partner in a coma.
 

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