Regulations currently permit UK casinos to offer 11 games to the public: roulette; blackjack; three card poker; punto banco; casino stud poker; dice/craps; sic bo; wheel of fortune; baccarat; chemin de fer; and super pan 9. Following consultation on types and rules of casino games, the Gambling Commission will now finalise its position and arrange for publication of the new rules, including trials for new games.

The consultation, which received eight responses, closed in November. Two industry associations submitted comments – The British Casino Association (BCA) and the Casino Operators’ Association (COA) – as did five operators (Rank Group, A and S Leisure, Kerzner International, Harrah’s Entertainment and Gala Coral) and gaming equipment supplier Prime Table Games. Proposals considered changes to rules for playing card pack numbers and doubling down in blackjack or punto banco, and rules for trialling new games.

The Rank Group was one of three respondents to express regrets that no provision was made for ‘virtual’ casino games. “Many existing table games currently cannot easily be converted into electronic versions, due to the difficulty in reading “real” equipment electronically, such as cards and dice, or in operating them by fully automated means. The ability to automate games other than roulette is therefore restricted in the UK. Electronic gaming is more accurate, efficient, secure and economic, but is under-used because of the need to harness real equipment.”

The company further commented, “The new Act should cater for, anticipate and embrace, 21st century technology. Instead, its approach is wholly unchanged from the 1968 Gaming Act, drawn up in the middle of the last century. As a result, the UK will fall still further behind technology available to the international marketplace instead of grasping the opportunity to move ahead.” The Commission replied that ‘virtual’ games could only be approved if the law changed and that there was little prospect of this at present.

On the question of trialling new games most respondents supported the Commission’s proposals and it will now go ahead with discussions with the industry on the precise ways the trials and monitoring will operate. New games would be approved if they comply with the three licensing objectives for fairness, transparency and protection of the vulnerable. However, the trials should prove demand from customers as “neither the Commission nor the industry will want a plethora of approved games for which there is little or no demand and which are rarely if ever played.” (E-02.26.07)

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