Are Gambling Regulations For Slots Changing?

Jul. 17, 2020

Over the years various authorities across the globe have ended up locking horns with the gambling industry as a result of various different factors. For example, during the 1800s the Central European powers became more and more scared of casino families like the Blanc family, mainly because new games like roulette were bringing through an unprecedented amount of revenue. In the end they banned gambling across Central Europe, leading the, by this time unbelievably wealthy, Blanc family to leave and set up shop in Monte Carlo, one of the main reasons why the city gives off such a decadent aura today. 

More recently countries like Cambodia and Brazil have ended up completely banning gambling because they saw a massive rise in gambling addiction in their population. However, despite these examples, there are also many countries around the world who have devised new regulations in order to facilitate gambling on things like slots in a much safer way. It isn’t black and white, therefore. Increased regulations do not always result in the banning of gambling, sometimes they just make them safer. Read ahead for a discussion on whether or not gambling regulations are changing. 

• History of gambling regulations for slots 

It is a lot easier to understand the happenings in the present day when you look back on a small history of gambling regulations in regard to slots. People may think that slots are unfairly vilified today, however back in Charles D. Fey’s day when slots had just been invented they were technically illegal. In fact, for the first few decades of the slots industry’s existence it was completely illegal, with slot games only being found in shady bars and saloons. 

After WWI and WWII things got a lot more relaxed for slot gambling across the world, probably because governments had a lot of money to make in order to heal themselves from the economic devastation of war. And as we can see today, there aren’t many more industries as good at making money than the slots industry. 

• The Gambling Act 2004 

Online casino gambling, especially on the slots, became possible during the early 2000s, however at this point there were very little regulations specific to it, and this made it illegal in quite a lot of places by default. In the UK the government passed The Gambling Act 2004 which made it much easier to online casinos and developers to advertise their products, and also made sure that the industry was transparently regulated. 

• Recent developments in the field of gambling regulations 

Gambling regulations are constantly changing all around the world, so it is hard to provide a dedicated picture to recent developments in the field of gambling regulations. In the UK, however, the government is becoming under increasing pressure to put a max stake limit on slots and online slots like they did with betting terminals. Do not be surprised if this becomes a reality somewhere down the line, and not just in the UK either!