Last week’s news that the UK Gambling Commission is seeking age verification systems to be implemented by operators to ensure that under-age guests are not able to access gambling machines has raised some extra questions.
For adult gaming centres it will probably not be a problem. Sascha Blodau, general manager of Gauselmann UK, with around 200 Merkur Slots AGCs around the country, said; “It isn’t a problem for us.
"We have been operationg a ‘think 25’ policy with our staff for some years now. I think the Gambling Commission is making the right move with this.”
Age verification in other sites, however, may pose other problems. With pubs, where Category C machines are available, landlords will have extra pressures.
John Bollom, president of Bacta, told us: “Our code of training/display material is based on the ‘think 25’ policy, so it is already being done in AGCs and arcades. It is going to be more difficult in pubs, when it will be down to the landlord to enforce it.”
