UK to liberalize rules for gambling venues in light of online growth, permit cashless payment

Thursday, May 16, 2024 8:10 PM
Photo: Shutterstock
  • Reuters

Britain plans to introduce a range of liberalising measures for venues like casinos, bingo halls and arcades as part of a plan to boost land-based gambling as it seeks to keep pace with the fast-growing online betting and gaming sector.

The move was aimed at modernising “the outdated and overly restrictive regulations” that apply to land-based gambling, minister Stuart Andrew said in a written statement to lawmakers on Thursday.

The government will remove the ban on direct debit card payments on gaming machines as the use of non-cash payments has increased significantly, and introduce appropriate player protections, the statement said.