United Kingdom: Announced reform of gambling laws to protect smartphone users in white paper

On 27 April 2023, the UK Government published a White Paper containing its plans to enact several measures to reform gambling laws in order to protect users from online casino games. Notably, the proposals include stake limits for online slot games with the default maximum stake of between GBP 2 and GBP 15 per spin. In addition, new player protection obligations will be imposed on gambling operators to ensure minors cannot gamble online. The government will also review online game design rules to look at limiting the speed of play and other characteristics which exacerbate risks. Finally, the Gambling Commission will be given new powers to tackle black market operators and work with internet service providers (ISPs) to remove and block illegal gambling sites.