Bingo Association Praised By the UK Gambling Commission
The UK’s gambling regulator has hailed positive talks with the Bingo Association, with its constructive approach to regulation changes welcomed.
The Bingo Association has held positive talks with UKGC. © Vanburn Gonsalves, Unsplash
Key Facts:
- UKGC is consulting over a change to slot machine rules
- Bingo arcades are subject to the current 80/20 rule for slots
- Government recently shelved its plans to update the rules
- Regulators such as Bacta have aired their frustration over the government delaying the announcement of new regulations for slot games
An announcement from the government that it was delaying new regulations for slot games in locations including adult gaming centres (AGCs) and bingo halls was recently met with frustration from part of the industry.
The UK’s Gambling Commission (UKGC) says a consultation period has been extended and will now be running until June 3, rather than coming to an end on May 20.
A recommendation to relax current regulations around slot gaming machines, including those that are located in UK bingo venues, is still being considered.
UKGC has welcomed its talks on the matter with the Bingo Association, which is responsible for promoting the interests of all licensed bingo operators, including more than 250 UK bingo clubs.
UKGC Singles Out Bingo Association
Giving a speech at the Bingo Association’s recent annual general meeting (AGM), policy director at the Gambling Association, Tim Miller, accepted that some trade bodies have not been particularly helpful.
The government has already announced rule changes for online casinos and betting sites such as slot stake limits, but regulations around AGCs and slots have been harder to change.
Miller picked out the Bingo Association as a trade body that has held constructive talks with UKGC.
He said: “These are not easy things and there have been plenty of times where the easy path for industry would have been to call for more collaboration but then step back and either wait for others to act or indeed sling some mud or double down on defending the status quo.”
“To be honest it is frustrating when we have created opportunities for collaboration, such as the creation of Gam Protect or the financial risk pilot, and we face a kind of reverse ‘I’m Spartacus’ moment with very few operators prepared to step forward and participate.”
“However, in contrast the engagement we’ve had through the Bingo Association on many issues has been positive, practical and constructive.”
Workable Alternatives
Initial reports suggested that government plans to roll back the 80/20 rule, which denotes how many high-stakes machines bingo halls and AGCs can have, will be cancelled.
But Miller told the Bingo Association’s AGM that talks are ongoing over high-stakes slots.
He added: “Our intention was to arrive at a package of proposals that protects vulnerable people, ensures consumers can make informed decisions about their gambling and recognises the need to minimise the impact on consumers who are not experiencing difficulty in managing their gambling safely.”
“We do however remain keen to hear workable alternatives to our proposals. But we also need to be clear. The starting point for alternatives should aim to achieve the same policy objectives. There is no going backwards when it comes to consumer safety here.”
John Bollom, president at the arcades trade body Bacta, recently described relaxing the 80/20 rule as “common sense, safe for players and good for our ailing high streets”.
