Poll: Should social gaming allow players to set spend limits?

Last month, following suggestions that the UK Gambling Commission was considering regulating social gaming, those from within the industry warned that such proposals would make the continued operations of many social casinos “impossible”.

The suggestions were swiftly quashed by the commission, however the debate was reignited recently when William Hill chief executive Ralph Topping claimed on his blog that “It cannot be right that a child can buy chips to play on an online slot which is (almost) as good as anything you’ll find on williamhill.com.

“If the UK Government regulates and taxes online gambling but does not include ‘social’ gambling, I predict the number of operators exploiting this potential loophole will go up exponentially and potentially cause a real problem gambling issue among society’s most vulnerable rather than the largely imaginary ones that all this extra regulation is supposed to combat,” added Topping.

Based on the results of our most recent poll, a narrow majority of eGaming Review readers believe that social gaming should be regulated, however if this is not on the cards for the foreseeable future are there other options for those keen to protect the vulnerable and prevent problem gambling?

While the absence of a “cash-out” option distances the sector from real-money gambling, the amount of money deposited by players is one thing which can be controlled.

With that in mind, we would like to ask whether or not you believe players should be allowed to set personal deposit limits when it comes to social gaming. To vote, go to the right-hand side of the page or visit the eGaming Review LinkedIn group.