A consultation on empowering players to use gaming machines safely at every stage of their gaming journey has launched in the UK.

As part of the white paper on gambling reform, the regulator, the Gambling Commission, is focusing on gaming machine technical standards and the testing strategy.

The consultation proposes to introduce five new standards, a licence condition and a social responsibility code provision.

The code will include proposals on time and monetary limit setting functionality and features such as safer gambling messaging and session time.

The UKGC is also asking for views on plans to amend three existing standards, “having considered industry proposals to improve customer enjoyment and gameplay.”

It wants to consolidate the current 12 gaming machine technical standards into a single standard, “whilst amending the format to be more consistent with our Remote gambling and software technical standards for greater clarity.”

The consultation also includes plans to update gaming machine technical standards and the related testing strategy to “remove obsolete material.”

Tim Miller, the Gambling Commission’s executive director of research and policy, said: “The white paper sets out that a top priority is ensuring that gambling happens safely. We share this commitment and today’s consultation proposes how we could implement gaming machine changes in the land-based sector.

“We recognise that regulatory changes that impact the design of machines can come with considerable costs. We are encouraging consumers, gambling businesses and other interested groups to share evidence that will assist us in measuring both the likely regulatory impacts of the proposed changes and the likely costs of implementing them.

“This evidence will be invaluable to helping make a robust assessment on whether the benefits to consumers are proportionate to the costs involved.”

The consultation opened on Wednesday, January 29, and runs for 16 weeks until Tuesday, May 20.