Auto-Spin
Request
n relation to the Gambling Commission's decision to remove "auto-spin" functionality from online slot games (policy announced 2021):
- Equality Impact Assessment(s) and related documents
Any Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) or equivalent accessibility assessment carried out before the decision was made.
Any internal notes, reports, or meeting minutes relating to how the removal of auto-spin would affect people with disabilities, particularly those with physical impairments affecting manual play.
- Consultation and stakeholder engagement
Records of any consultation responses, feedback, or evidence submitted to the Gambling Commission that raised accessibility or disability issues relating to the removal of auto-spin.
Details of any engagement with disability rights groups or representatives regarding this policy change.
- Evidence base for the decision
All research, data, or analysis considered by the Gambling Commission when concluding that removing auto-spin would reduce gambling harms, including whether any risk-benefit assessment was made for sub-groups of players (e.g. those with disabilities).
- Follow-up actions after disability concerns were raised
Any internal correspondence, meeting notes, or documents generated in response to public complaints or correspondence raising the issue of disability discrimination following the removal of auto-spin.
Response
Thank you for your request which has been processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
In your email you have requested the following in relation to the Gambling Commission's decision to remove "auto-spin" functionality from online slot games (policy announced 2021):
- Equality Impact Assessment(s) and related documents
Any Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) or equivalent accessibility assessment carried out before the decision was made.
Any internal notes, reports, or meeting minutes relating to how the removal of auto-spin would affect people with disabilities, particularly those with physical impairments affecting manual play.
- Consultation and stakeholder engagement
Records of any consultation responses, feedback, or evidence submitted to the Gambling Commission that raised accessibility or disability issues relating to the removal of auto-spin.
Details of any engagement with disability rights groups or representatives regarding this policy change.
- Evidence base for the decision
All research, data, or analysis considered by the Gambling Commission when concluding that removing auto-spin would reduce gambling harms, including whether any risk-benefit assessment was made for sub-groups of players (e.g. those with disabilities).
- Follow-up actions after disability concerns were raised
Any internal correspondence, meeting notes, or documents generated in response to public complaints or correspondence raising the issue of disability discrimination following the removal of auto-spin.
Section 21 of the FOIA provides that information is exempt where it is reasonably accessible elsewhere. In order to be of assistance, please see the following consultation response and assessment published on our website:
Online games design and reverse withdrawals
Assessment of Online Games Design changes
Please note, the consultation response contains information on the evidence and research relied upon for the policy proposals including research conducted specifically for autoplay for this consultation. It also demonstrates that we considered the impact on people with particular health conditions of removing autoplay and concluded that it was still appropriate to proceed with the change as such players were also likely to be exposed to the risks we had identified with autoplay.
The assessment then considers the impact of these policy changes.
Both the consultation and response were conducted in 2020 – 2021. Due to the Commission’s retention period correspondence and emails from this period will no longer be held. However, the decision and rationale for it was publicly consulted on as per the published information and assessed for impact.
Review of the decision
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your Freedom of Information request you are entitled to an internal review of our decision. You should write to FOI Team, Gambling Commission, 4th floor, Victoria Square House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B2 4BP or by reply to this email.
Please note, internal review requests should be made within 40 working days of the initial response. Requests made outside this timeframe will not be processed.
If you are not content with the outcome of our review, you may then apply directly to the Information Commissioner (ICO) for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have already exhausted the review procedure provided by the Gambling Commission.
It should be noted that if you wish to raise a complaint with the ICO about the Commission’s handling of your request for information, then you are required to do so within six weeks of receiving your final response or last substantive contact with us.
The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office (opens in a new tab), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Information Management Team
Gambling Commission