The Gambling Act 2005 (Gaming Tables in Casinos) (Definitions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

This instrument amends the definition of a “gaming table” for the purposes of section 172(3) to (5) of the Gambling Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act”), so that only gaming tables operated or controlled by casino staff will qualify for the purposes of attracting the gaming machine allowance available to certain types of casino premises licences under the 2005 Act.

The Explanatory Notes explains:

The 2005 Act framework ensures that casinos licensed under the 2005 Act cannot offer gaming machines unless that offer is balanced by a proportionate number of gaming tables. This ensures that customers can choose whether to play on gaming tables, which are more social in nature, as opposed to gaming machines and other automated gaming equipment, where there is less potential for human interaction and which tend to be more repetitive in nature.

The 2009 Regulations are one means by which this objective is pursued, providing (among other things) that a wholly automated gaming table does not count towards the number of gaming machines which a casino licensed under the 2005 Act can offer.  Since the 2009 Regulations were introduced, however, new gaming products have been developed for casino gaming, including games in which the player presses a switch or button, or pulls a plunger or lever, e.g. to release a ball or set of balls.

Under section 235(2)(h) of the 2005 Act, these products do not count as gaming machines, but neither do they provide any of the benefits of a casino gaming table in contributing to a balanced mix or affording opportunities for social interaction. 

For this reason, the Government is bringing forward these Regulations to amend the 2009 Regulations, to ensure that these products do not count as a gaming table for the purposes of section 172(3) to (5) of the 2005 Act (gaming machine allowances in 2005 Act casinos).

As such, the purpose of these Regulations is to make clear that only if a table is controlled or operated by casino staff can it qualify as a gaming table for the purposes of calculating gaming machine allowances.