The £5 online slots stake limit for those over 25 will take effect on 9 April, with the £2 limit for young adults being enforced from 21 May, according to the UK gambling minister.
Speaking at the Betting and Gaming Council’s (BGC) AGM on February 27, Baroness Twycross outlined the timelines for operators to comply with the new regulations.
The online slots stake limit became law on Tuesday, February 25, after the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed the proposals in November.
The £5 limits for individuals aged 25 and over and the £2 limit for 18 to 24-year-olds were initially announced in February last year under the previous Conservative government.
Originally, the legislation was expected to come into effect from September 2024. However, following Labour’s rise to power in July of that year, the plans were delayed.
The policy emerged from the white paper reviewing the Gambling Act 2005, published in April 2023.
The 9 April deadline for the £5 limit is part of a six-week transition period for UK operators to establish the technical processes needed to manage the new requirements.
A further six weeks, extending to 21 May, will allow additional time to implement the £2 limit for young adults.
Baroness Twycross stated: “The online slots stake limits statutory instrument was also made into law on Tuesday. I know you are all eager to understand exactly when these stake limits will come into force.”
She added, “I know that implementing these stake limits is a technical challenge, and I am grateful for all the work you have done in preparation for this moment.”
The DCMS has indicated that the restriction could result in an estimated decline in GGY of £166.2m. Further government analysis suggested that only 0.06% of all spins involve stakes over £5.
Baroness Twycross also confirmed that the new statutory levy on operators’ GGR has come into law and will start being enforced from 6 April.
Licensed operators will be required to make the first levy payment by 1 October 2025.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) was named the prevention commissioner for the levy earlier this month.
Concluding her BGC AGM speech, Baroness Twycross praised the Gambling Commission’s efforts to tackle the black market, noting that the new Crime and Policing Bill introduced to parliament this week would give the regulator “greater powers to move quickly and effectively to take down IP addresses and domain names.”