Wales’ New Gambling Laws

With the Gambling Act 2005 coming into force as of midnight last night bingo halls, betting shops, casinos and slots arcades in Wales are looking at a new era in gambling. The new act will literally change the face of gambling in Wales, changing rules and regulations that have been in place since 1845 when Queen Victoria was on the throne.

Bingo parlors will undoubtedly see a large increase in players as they are now able to roll over their jackpots which will lead to higher payouts. Slots will be moved from popular areas so that children can no longer access them, and phone in quizzes have to be made harder or they have to pay more to the government.

Local casinos can have slots now with payouts as high as £4,000 and anyone within age can go into them without having to be a member or the friend of one. Casinos can advertise their slots and wares on TV now, although not until 9pm, and they can’t be sexually toned in anyway.

The casinos are loving the changes as they say the fact that they can now advertise is a huge coup for them, and that they can offer slots makes them all that much more attractive to their players. Some think that the amount of gambling is still too much, and that the casinos should not have gotten the slots, but they seem to hold the minority viewpoint. Most seem to be excited about the possibilities that the new laws can bring.

There are also stricter penalties as well – especially for those caught cheating; they will face a two year jail sentence. The newly created Gambling Commission will be one of the most powerful regulators in the world, and the people of Wales are rather pleased with that.



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