Report

Assessment of online games design changes

Gambling Commission report focusing on research conducted into the impact of the online gambling games design changes.

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Published
8 June 2023

Last updated
8 June 2023 - Changes

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Contents

• Assessment of online games design changes

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• Executive summary
• Introduction
  • - Background and approach
  • - Theory of Change
• Methodology and limitations
  • - Methodology for key sources
  • - Limitations
• Outcomes
  • - Reduced play intensity
  • - Consumer awareness
  • - Reduced binge gambling
  • - Gambling within consumer means
  • - Complaints
  • - Safer gambling measures
  • - Increased trust in gambling providers
  • - Reduced 'problem gambling' rates
• Assumptions
  • - Staking behaviour
  • - Session length
  • - Use of multiple tabs
  • - Games design
  • - Displacement to other games
  • - Time and position
  • - Loss chasing
  • - Displacement to other markets
  • - Inconvenience for gamblers
• Conclusions and next steps
• Appendices

Staking behaviour

Summary

There is strong evidence that staking has not increased because of the changes.

It would undermine the impact of the game design changes if those who were gambling slower changed their behaviour and offset slower play by increasing their staking.

As highlighted in the outcomes section of this report, there has been a reduction in staking proportions following the changes to slots products at each of the over £2, over £5, over £10, over £20, over £50 and over £100 thresholds. The sample of gambling businesses reported an increase of over 1.3 percent (one billion and events) in stakes of £1 and below over the six month period.

Next section
Session length

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Last updated: 8 June 2023

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