Conor D’Arcy, Head of Research and Policy, Money and Mental Health
“Gamble responsibly.” or “When the fun stops, stop.” We’ve all heard these tag lines at the end of ads for gambling companies. But a recent announcement from the Gambling Commission, the gambling regulator, has underlined how the design of online gambling games can undermine our ability to stay in control. Even when the fun stops, many people can’t.
Common symptoms of mental health problems can make us more likely to start gambling and make it more difficult to stop. While all forms of gambling can be highly addictive, online gambling presents particular problems. Our Research Community – a group of 5,000 people (as of April 2021) with lived experience of mental health problems who are at the core of our work – told us how the experience of gambling online can lead to unaffordable losses.
National polling conducted for our recent report on gambling showed how common these views were. Four in ten (40%) online gamblers who have experienced mental health problems said that it doesn’t feel like they’re spending real money when they gamble online, and one in three (32%) felt that it was not easy to stay in control of online gambling.
The action announced last week by the Gambling Commission on online slot machines responds to some of these concerns. Gambling operators will be required to slow down players, with minimum slot spin times, effectively limiting the number of times a player can spin in a given period. A ban on ‘autoplay’ means customers will have to initiate each spin. Other changes will mean players can see their running total of wins or losses for the session and prevent games from inaccurately suggesting that players have control over the outcome or have won when they haven’t. These are welcome changes, albeit likely to have a relatively minor impact; the ban on slot spin speeds faster than 2.5 seconds will still permit rapid gambling. But the emphasis on design choices is an important one.
The issue of design has cropped up repeatedly in our work on online harms. Whether it’s gambling, shopping or taking out credit, how websites are set up and how they guide customers through journeys massively impacts our ability to stay in control. That’s why it was heartening to see the Woolard Review for the FCA make clear that “digital designers should prioritise consumer control”.
Design is key, but there are a number of other ways to help protect customers who are at risk of problem gambling. Members of our Research Community told us about how commonplace gambling ads were and how, even if you’d gone to great lengths to block your access to gambling sites, a tempting advert could lead you back in. Beyond advertising, limits on the time spent gambling and affordability checks from firms that flag when it looks like you’re losing control, could and should be required to help more of us stay in control.
Opportunity for greater change is on the horizon. The Gambling Commission has just closed a consultation that included proposals on earlier and stronger intervention from operators as well as new affordability thresholds. More sweeping change may come from the review of the Gambling Act – launched at the end of last year, its aim is to ensure regulation of the sector is fit for the digital age. But the changes to online slot machines has shown that quick and effective action is possible under the current rules. Our research suggests there’s a powerful case for further protections now.
We are currently undertaking a two year programme funded by the Gambling Commission, aimed at engaging financial firms in efforts to reduce gambling harms. Read more here.
