Gambling in the UK is legal and very famous. The UK is one of the countries that first legalised gambling during its early stages. The online casinos based in the UK benefits from the fact that the people of the UK have a long history with gambling that dates centuries back. They also have a cultural familiarity with gambling. In this guide, we will discuss the gambling practices in the UK and what you should watch for in 2024.
Gambling in the UK
Gambling in online casinos is legal for citizens of the United Kingdom. But to wager money in online casinos, you will need to follow the UK Gambling Commission’s two restrictions. These are as follows:
- The first is that you have to be 18 or older to bet legally.
- The second that you can only place a bet at a website that holds a legitimate “remote gambling license.”
Gambling in the UK is quite famous among its citizens; they like to play all kinds of games the online casinos have to offer. But here is a list of casino games that are extraordinarily popular among gamblers from the UK.
In the UK, non-Gamstop sites are in high demand among players. Now NonGamstopBookies is a great alternative to bet on your favorite team.
List of Most Popular Gambling Games in the UK
- Fruit Machine
- Bingo
- Sports Betting
- Private Games
For Gamblers from the UK, it is crucial for them to know which online casino is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. If the casino is not licenced under any prestigious institution, they are free to cheat you. On thepunterspage, you can obtain more information on betting operators in the UK. We have prepared a list of the best and trusted gambling websites in the UK.
Top 10 Gambling Websites in the UK
- William Hill
- Betfred
- Betvictor
- Ladbrokes
- Colossus Bets
- Coral
- Bwin
- Novi Bet
- SBK
- Marathon Bet
You Should Watch for the New Gambling Law of 2024
The Gambling Commission of the UK has announced a new package of strict measures this year. These new changes will strengthen the protections and controls for players who gamble through online slot games. These new changes include things like– limits on spin speeds and the permanent ban on casino features that speed up play or celebrate losses as wins.
How Will This New Law Affect Your Gambling Experience
This new set of laws will force the gambling industry and other stakeholders or operators to implement strict new player protection measures, making online casino games less intensive but safer by design. This new Law will also give players more control over their gambling.
These new rules are part of an elaborate plan by the UK gambling commission, which aims for a comprehensive program to make gambling fairer and safer. The gambling commission has also consulted experts on the introduction of advanced protection for gamblers. Some of these are as follows:
- Strengthened protections for the legal online age.
- ID verification.
- Improved customer interaction practices.
- Banning gambling on credit cards.
Major Changes You Can Expect
The UK Gambling Commission has focused on the extended protection of online slots because of their features, increasing the intensity of play. This gives birth to the corresponding risks to players. According to the experts, slot games have by far the highest average losses per player of online gambling products.
New rules ban four major features of online slots games, as mentioned below:
- Features that lead to speed up of play or give the illusion of control over the outcome to the players.
- Slot spin speeds that are measured faster than 2.5 seconds.
- Autoplay games – which can lead players to lose track of their play.
- Ban of the illusion of sounds or imagery which may give the player a hallucination of a winning when in reality the return is, in fact, equal to, or below, a stake.
Other minuscule changes include:
- Operators have to display to the player their total losses/wins and time played during any online slots session.
- Permanent ban on reverse withdrawals for all online gambling websites.
When and Why is it Going to be Implemented
The new rules or regulations for casinos licensed with United Kingdom Gambling Commission will be fully implemented by 31 October 2024. As for why it is being implemented, research has shown that by using an autoplay feature, some players lost track of play, which makes it difficult for some to stop playing. And in some cases, it is causing stress and gambling on other activities simultaneously.
Furthermore, evidence from the research also shows that the reverse withdrawal functions pose a risk to players because of the temptation to continue gambling. Besides this, features like the slots have been associated with increased intensity of play, loss of player control, or binge play. The UK Gambling Commission chief executive, Mr. Neil McArthur, said
“To make online games safer, we are introducing a ban on features that speed up play or give the illusion of control over the outcome. We are also introducing a ban on autoplay, losses disguised as wins, and slot spin speeds faster than 2.5 seconds. According to the experts, these features increase the risk of harm to customers. This is another important step in making gambling safer and where the evidence shows that there are other opportunities to do that we are determined to take them.”
What Will You Get From All This?
According to the UK Gambling Commission, the end-user (you) will be much more secure and more aware of your wins/losses than ever before. In other words, the new regulatory rules will ensure that they curb the intensity of online gambling, which can be both good and bad for gamblers. Many of them only play for the adrenaline rush they feel while gambling their money in online casinos. Without the thrill, casinos may lose popularity. The good thing about the new change in 2024 is that these new rules will also ensure greater protections that will reduce the risk of gambling-related harm.
