Mon, 17 Mar 2025

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 Former betting boss says online slot machines need to be slowed down

Stewart Kenny thinks plans to limit stakes for online slots don’t go far enough and games must be slowed down.

* Stewart Kenny, co-founder of Paddy Power, claims new government rules to protect online slot players don't go far enough and that the games' speed contributes to addiction.
* New government rules will limit stakes for over 25s to £5 per spin from April and £2 per spin for 18-24-year-olds in May.
* Kenny believes online slots are addictive because of their fast pace, providing "plenty of noise and plenty of colours" as well as near misses.
* The Department for Culture Media and Sport says the Gambling Commission introduced requirements to change the speed and intensity of slots in 2021, including a minimum spin time of 2.5 seconds.
* Online slot profits have increased by 15% year on year to £709m, with the number of spins reaching a new peak of £23.9bn.
* Kenny resigned from Flutter Entertainment's board in 2016 due to concerns over vulnerable customers using their websites and no longer has any financial interest in the company.
* The UK betting industry is worth £15.6bn, with online slots being a significant contributor to profits.
* Kenny criticizes the industry for encouraging sports betting punters to move to online slots, which he believes are more addictive.
* Flutter Entertainment says it has evolved significantly since Kenny's involvement and has been a vocal supporter of reform measures.
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