The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act – better known to many as the Remote Gambling Bill – received royal assent in May, and that may leave some people in doubt about whether pub gaming machines are affected or not.
Under the new legislation, remote gaming operators who previously did not need a licence may now require one, particularly if they are based outside of the UK but provide gaming services to UK gamblers.
But as many pub gaming machines are connected to the internet to allow question sets and game editions to be updated, are they affected by the new legislation?
The short answer is that it is highly unlikely any pub quiz machine will fall under the definitions used in the legislation.
An FAQ document from the Gambling Commission explains: “Gambling software is defined in section 41 of the Act as computer software that is used in connection with remote gambling but does not include anything for use solely in connection with a gaming machine.”
In general, pub gaming machines have their own operating software – and therefore, they should not fall under the definition in section 41 of the Act, and should therefore be unaffected by this legislation once it is fully enacted.