The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has published draft regulations that will overhaul how land-based casinos operate across the UK.

Set to come into force on 22 July 2025, these changes mark the biggest shake-up in casino regulation for years.

New rules will link the number of gaming machines casinos can have to their floor space. Converted casino premises in England and Wales can run up to 80 Category B, C, or D machines if they have at least 280 square metres of gambling floor. The regulations work on a sliding scale - venues lose five machines for every 20 square metres, up to a maximum of 500 square metres. There's also a cap that stops casinos from having more than five times as many machines as gaming tables.

For venues with connected premises, the 80-machine limit applies across all sites combined. Once casinos adopt these new rules, they give up their old machine entitlements completely.

The most notable change lets converted casino premises take sports bets on-site. This provides operators with a new income stream beyond their traditional casino games and slot machines. Sports betting has become a huge business, so casinos want their slice of the action. Many operators already work with a casino affiliate network to promote their services, and adding sports betting creates more ways to partner up and share revenue across different types of gambling. Another noteworthy change requires casinos to mark out table gaming areas on their premises plans. Current rules from the Gambling Act 2005 don't need this for converted venues, leaving a regulatory gap. Table gaming covers casino games on regular or automated tables, plus games of equal chance that aren't bingo. Operators wanting these new powers must ask their licensing authority to vary their licence and show where these areas will be.

Northern Ireland's casino scene is watching these developments closely. The province has fewer casinos than mainland Britain, but changes south of the border often influence local policy discussions. Northern Ireland would need its legislation through the Assembly to copy these rules, but successful implementation elsewhere could encourage similar reforms. Casino operators in Belfast and beyond are already considering how mainland changes might impact their business strategies.

The Secretary of State will review the effectiveness of these changes, with the first report due within five years. Follow-up reviews will occur every five years thereafter to ensure the rules remain current with industry changes. These regulations sit separate from the 2023 Gambling Review White Paper, showing the government is taking things step by step rather than rushing through wholesale changes.

Since these are still draft regulations, tweaks remain possible before July. But the main framework looks set. Casino operators have approximately two months to prepare, updating their premises and business plans to meet the new requirements. The regulations also spell out that gaming machines operating under new rules will cancel out previous entitlements, so there's no double-counting.

The changes reflect the evolution of the gambling industry, with operators seeking greater flexibility to compete in a crowded market that includes online platforms and high-street betting shops.