written and last updated by
Sam Smith at
24 Apr 2024
Journalist, Editorial Department
The British government has responded to a report released in December 2023 by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) regarding the regulation of gambling. Lawmakers announced that there will be no restrictions on the types of payment methods for the land-based gaming machine market.
Currently, these machines can accept cash, as well as other forms of payment such as mobile transfers or special tickets. The DCMS stated in its report last December that it supports cashless payments in gaming machines. However, they emphasized that players should still have the option to use cash if they choose to do so.
The government plans to publish a comprehensive response to the consultation document on land-based gaming soon, which will include proposals for cashless payments. This document will be separate from the aforementioned response to the DCMS report.
Additionally, the government indicated that it will monitor the impact of changes in the land-based sector in various ways, particularly regarding the increased availability of Category B machines. Information will be sourced from statistics provided by the Gambling Commission. The government has already begun collecting data to better understand how visitors interact with different types of gaming machines in specific locations.
In the UK, there are seven permitted categories of land-based gaming machines, differentiated by criteria such as maximum prizes, betting limits, and placement restrictions. For instance, the highest category machines—B1—are only allowed in casinos, while Category D machines (with the lowest stakes) can be found in clubs, pubs, and even at fairs.
It is worth noting that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has implemented quarterly regulatory reports for gambling companies.
