The Gambling Commission has moved to strengthen its oversight of land-based gambling licences by introducing a new licence condition (LCCP) to remove non-compliant machines from licensed UK premises.
Beginning 29 July 2026, Licence Condition 18.1.1 will be adopted and require all non-remote gambling operators to withdraw gaming machines that the Commission has identified as non-compliant upon receipt of written notification, providing the regulator with a clearer legal mechanism to enforce its technical standards.
The new requirement is the first measure to be implemented from the Commission’s wider consultation of the Gaming Machine Technical Standards (GMTS) – as part of the Gambling Review White Paper of 2023.
Introduced under Section 86(2) of the Gambling Act 2005, Licence Condition 18.1.1 empowers the Commission to direct operators to remove gaming machines that have been unlawfully manufactured, supplied, installed, adapted, maintained or repaired, or that fail to comply with the Commission’s technical standards.
According to the regulator, the measure closes a compliance gap by establishing a clear statutory process to ensure non-compliant machines are withdrawn from use without delay once operators receive formal written notice.
The licence condition stems from the Commission’s wider consultation on modernising Britain’s gaming machine regulations.
The review proposes consolidating the existing 12 Gaming Machine Technical Standards into a single framework, removing outdated provisions, updating Category B2 machine requirements to reflect the reduced £2 maximum stake, introducing five new technical standards alongside a new social responsibility code, and making further amendments designed to strengthen consumer protection while improving gameplay.
New order of gaming machine rules
While the Commission has issued its decision on the new licence condition, it said it continues to analyse responses to the remaining proposals, together with supporting evidence submitted by stakeholders.
A full response to the wider reform package is expected later this summer.
The enforcement proposal attracted broad support during the consultation from gambling operators, gaming machine manufacturers, testing houses and consumers.
Some respondents, however, requested greater clarity on how the Commission would issue enforcement notices, alongside definitions of terms such as “specified gaming machine” and what would constitute written notification.
Despite calls from some stakeholders for a longer implementation period, the Commission concluded that an extension was unnecessary.
The regulator noted that the new licence condition requires no technical modifications to gaming machines or significant operational changes by operators, with businesses expected only to update internal compliance procedures, policies and staff training where appropriate.
