The UK government, through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has drafted secondary legislation proposing significant changes to the regulatory framework governing land-based casinos. These proposed adjustments, distinct from the broader reforms outlined in the Gambling Review White Paper, primarily focus on gaming machine entitlements and the required details on casino premises plans. The drafted regulations are set to be put before Parliament.

Published by the DCMS, these draft casino regulations, formally titled The Casinos (Gaming Machines and Mandatory Conditions) Regulations 2025, are part of an interlinked statutory instrument designed to adjust land-based casino regulation. The department has also published two linked statutory instruments to facilitate scrutiny of these proposed changes. It is highlighted that these specific changes and recommendations are separate from those contained within the main Gambling Review’s White Paper, which was published in 2023.

Gaming Machine Entitlements and Area Limits

A key proposal within the drafted legislation concerns the entitlements for gaming machines in converted casino premises in England and Wales, as outlined in the first statutory instrument (Annex B). This instrument is intended to extend the entitlements for these premises, allowing them to operate up to 80 Category B, C, or D machines, provided they meet certain criteria. The conditions include having a gambling floor area of no less than 280 square metres, ensuring the number of gaming machines does not exceed five times the number of gaming tables used in the casino at any time, and the total number of gaming machines does not surpass 80.

The drafted legislation reportedly outlines a tiered system based on minimum gambling area. A table specifies the maximum number of gaming machines permitted: for a minimum gambling area of 500m², 80 machines are allowed; this maximum drops by five machines for every 20m² decline in minimum gambling area, down to 25 machines for an area of 280m². The regulations also include a provision for situations where multiple converted casino premises with licenses are connected, stating that no more than 80 gaming machines in total may be made available for use across all those combined premises. It is noted that once a casino undertakes these amendments and makes gaming machines available under the new provisions, its earlier rights and entitlements under previous regulations are relinquished. The impact of the amendment will be reviewed by the Secretary of State, with a report published within five years of the changes being implemented, followed by subsequent reports every five years thereafter.

Premises Plans and Table Gaming Areas

The second statutory instrument (Annex C) focuses on requirements for casino premises plans. It states that converted casino premises must indicate on their premises plan the specific area designated for table gaming. Table gaming is defined in regulation 2 of the 2007 Regulations as including casino games played on ordinary, or partially or wholly automated gaming tables, and real games of equal chance, other than bingo, played on a table.

This amendment is designed to enable holders of a converted casino premises license who wish to utilise the new gaming machine entitlements to apply to the relevant licensing authority to vary their license. This variation would allow the casino plan to accurately show the location and extent of any part of the premises that will be a table gaming area. This change is deemed necessary because the existing Gambling Act 2005 (Premises Licences and Provisional Statements) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/459) do not currently require converted casino premises to include this level of detail on their plans. The instrument adds that a full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument, as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary, or public sector is foreseen.

Implementation Timeline

While currently in the draft stage and therefore subject to potential modification, the scheduled date for these significant changes to come into force is July 22, 2025.

In conclusion, the drafted secondary legislation proposes specific updates to the regulatory framework for UK land-based casinos, primarily focusing on adjusting gaming machine entitlements based on floor space and mandating the clear designation of table gaming areas on premises plans. These represent key, separate regulatory adjustments proceeding alongside the broader reforms stemming from the Gambling Review White Paper, with an anticipated implementation date in July 2025.