From regulation changes to marketing and advertising, to those changes that impact the very mechanics of online gambling, the gambling industry is in a period of adaptation. Gambling businesses are having to quickly change to reflect these regulations in their offerings, representing an increase in cost but also an opportunity for marketing and technology developers. In this article, I’ll explore the impact businesses have felt as a result of changing laws.
Photo by Ben Lambert on UnsplashWhat Regulations Does the Gambling Industry Face?
The most recent changes to gambling regulations have been focused on ensuring they’re fit for the modern world, in which, much gambling activity takes place online. Let’s look at some of the recent and upcoming changes the industry is facing.
Reduced Stake Limits
As of 2025, the Government has reduced the maximum stake on individual spins for slot games to reduce gambling-related harm from overspending. New regulations mean an individual spin is capped at a wager of £5, with a lower £2 cap for those between the ages of 18 and 24. I always look for slots that have low minimum stakes, around 10p, to make sure I’m getting the most out of my money. For online casino businesses, this has, of course, meant a reduction in stake limits implemented across all slot games.
Changes to Game Design
There have also been changes in regulations, which means providers will have to alter the overall design of games. Providers will have to adapt by displaying a game’s result for a longer period of time and removing celebratory graphics that make losses and wins look similar. The speed of games has also been slowed down, with all spins having to now take over five seconds to complete, and features like turbo and autoplay banned.
Enhanced Identity and Financial Verification
The iGaming industry uses a process called Know Your Customer (KYC) to verify the identity of users and ensure they’re of appropriate age to gamble. As of February 2025, the UK Government is launching a test of a further step in the form of a financial risk assessment. When a player spends over £150 a month on gambling, they will trigger a financial assessment, using publicly available information, like credit scores and bankruptcy records, to check affordability.
The Impact on Smaller Gambling Businesses
New regulations are especially challenging for smaller businesses in the gambling market. Changing fundamental areas of their offering, like the mechanics of games, will be a costly process as it involves software development. High levels of investment in these services will lead to higher costs and lower margins for profit at many small gambling businesses across the UK. If they don’t have the resources to make these legal changes, small businesses won’t be able to compete in the UK market. I think the UK Betting and Gambling Council will play a vital role in helping these businesses adapt to regulatory changes.
Restrictions in Marketing and Advertising
One keen area of focus for change has been in the way that providers are able to market themselves. In the past, players have had to opt out of marketing preferences if they didn’t want to receive any marketing materials from a provider. As of May 2025, this process is being reversed so that the default is automatically opt-out.
Further marketing restrictions prevent providers from using famous figures, like footballers, in their television adverts. It’s been found that these adverts disproportionately appeal to the younger generation. As well as this, from the 2026 Premier League season, providers have voluntarily removed any advertisements from football shirts.
The changes to marketing and advertising within the iGaming industry have meant businesses have had to change their strategies for customer acquisition. Already an expensive process, and with competition rising, gaining new customers will become even more difficult for many providers, with some streams now removed. In turn, this makes retaining customers even more important than ever for businesses within the iGaming industry.
Focusing on the Digital Future
As well as representing a challenge for the iGaming industry, changes to online gambling rules mean developing new online infrastructure, boosting technology businesses. Law changes that mean providers will have to overhaul gaming mechanics on slots will also lead to increased spending for development in this area.
Changes to gambling regulations aren’t the only way the iGaming industry boosts technological businesses. The industry is always at the forefront of advances in technology and quick to adopt new developments, like virtual reality and cryptocurrency. Some casinos have begun introducing games using VR headsets to immerse players within a vibrant casino environment and allow them to interact with features like chips and cards. The industry has given the technology a boost, with many key providers now partnering with technology developers to improve VR accessibility.
Cryptocurrency has been another popular introduction to the iGaming world, with many providers now offering it as a payment method. Online casinos give players the opportunity to pay using popular coins, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. Similarly, e-wallets like PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill have also been incorporated as a payment method. These options are especially appealing for players like me, who would rather use a third-party for online transactions.
Artificial Intelligence
AI has been truly transformative for the iGaming industry, helping it adapt to new regulations through enhanced and automated security methods. In customer service, AI chatbots are being used to provide an instant answer to customers’ queries and free up human agents to answer more complex questions. The technology also helps provide a personalised experience for users by customising recommendations and advertisements based on their preferences.
New regulations mean that more information than ever will have to be checked to ensure players are safe when online gambling, including financial risk assessments. Due to its ability to analyse large amounts of data quickly, AI can be used to find a baseline for players and detect any anomalies, like spikes in spending or late-night playing, which stray from the norm. It could also be used in the proposed risk assessments by analysing factors like credit scores and debt markers to determine a player’s financial health. I think it’s likely that AI will play a bigger role than ever across gambling businesses by helping implement this change to regulations.
What is the Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry?
The gambling industry has a number of positive impacts on the UK economy through taxes and employment opportunities. In 2023, 95,000 people across the UK were directly employed by the gambling industry in some capacity. These jobs include customer service workers and live croupiers and dealers. Indirectly, the industry also creates a number of jobs in areas like marketing, technology, and legal fields. These jobs go towards boosting the economy overall, with jobs creating more money to be spent across businesses throughout the country.
Currently, online gambling operators face a remote gaming duty, which is a 21% tax on revenue. Money raised through this tax goes back into businesses across the UK and helps fund infrastructure like schools and healthcare. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, recently proposed an increase in gaming duty to 50%. Although this is yet to be introduced, Reeves is confident the industry will see an increase in tax levels in the near future. Higher levels of tax would, of course, mean more money to be invested back into businesses across the country. I’ll be surprised if we don’t see a change in regulations to increase gaming duty for online providers in the next few years.
The Overall Impact of Gambling Regulations
Changes to gambling regulations across the UK present businesses with challenges, but also opportunities. Recent and upcoming changes to regulations surrounding game design, identity verification, and stake limits have left gambling businesses across the country having to adapt. For smaller businesses in the market, the costly process of game redevelopment could represent a decrease in revenue in the short term. Changes to regulations in marketing and advertisement could also mean an increase in the cost of customer acquisition, which will hit gambling businesses across the country. However, they will also stimulate jobs in businesses within these areas and fund the development of cutting-edge innovations like AI, VR, and cryptocurrency. Overall, changing regulations across the UK will be a challenge for gambling businesses, but one that I think they are more than capable of meeting.
Cameron Murphy is an online casino expert with 12 years of experience within the industry. He is an expert on all things casino, with a particular focus on gambling laws and regulations. Cameron’s undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature from Brunel University helps him to craft top-quality content that offers players helpful industry insights. Players can find some of Cameron’s top tips compiled in his book, The Ultimate Ireland Casino and Gambling Handbook.
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