The Gambling Commission has finalised new technical standards for gaming machines in Great Britain, introducing limit-setting tools and session information as part of reforms stemming from the 2023 Gambling Act Review White Paper.
Under the changes, new Category B machines will be required to give customers access to gambling management tools and information showing elapsed playing time and their net financial position.
Licensees will also gain access to sessional information to support customer interactions where signs of gambling harm are identified.
New game design requirements will prevent machines from celebrating awards below the amount staked and prohibit features allowing customers to shorten the time before a result becomes known.
The measures follow a consultation launched in January 2025 covering changes to the Gaming Machine Technical Standards (GMTS), Gaming Machine Testing Strategy and Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice.
The consultation closed in June 2025 and received 1,065 responses, alongside supplementary data, consumer research and evidence reports.
The original proposals would have applied several requirements to both new and existing machines. Following consultation, the Gambling Commission opted to exempt existing machines in most circumstances, citing technical complexity and implementation costs, particularly for smaller licensees and social clubs.
The regulator also removed staff alerts connected to the first and second default time limits and adjusted break periods following consultation feedback. The changes were intended to address concerns around alert fatigue and customer privacy.
Implementation will take place in three stages. A new definition of a gaming session becomes effective on 30 March 2027, followed by most of the revised standards on 30 June. Staff alert provisions will then take effect on 3 October 2028.
The reforms originate from the 2023 White Paper, which committed the regulator to reviewing machine technical standards, including session limits and safer gambling tools across Category B and C machines.
The wider programme has also considered changes to machine allocations in bingo halls and adult gaming centres.
Gambling Commission Director of Major Policy Projects and Evaluation, Helen Rhodes, said: "These measures will help both to empower consumers to understand and manage their gambling and ensure operators play their part."
The announcement follows separate regulatory action against Targetlocal, whose combined remote operating licence was suspended in September after the Gambling Commission identified anti-money laundering failings.
The Gambling Commission introduced a separate licence condition concerning non-compliant gaming machines on 29 July 2026, ahead of the wider technical standards taking effect
