Paddy Power founder says legislation doesn’t go far enough to curb slots use

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The founder of one of the UK’s biggest bookmakers - Paddy Power - have said that new legislation brought in by the Government, designed to protect players, doesn’t go far enough to prevent problem gambling when it comes to online slots. 

Founder Stewart Kenny, who stood down from Paddy Power in 2016, says that online slots still spin too fast for them to be considered truly safe for players. 

New rules, which are active from April, introduce maximum stakes for those under 25 and another separate ruling for those over 25 years of age, as well as a reduced speed for the reels in slots; and also restricting other features designed to speed up gameplay.

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) undertook a full review of the Gambling Act 2005 which, itself, followed a 2020 call by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sports, to judge how the industry is regulated. 

Following the consultation, the Government introduced changes that included the prohibition of auto-play, turbo, and quick-spin features. Furthermore, online slot machines had to take at least 2.5 seconds for a spin to complete. 

Further changes are set to be introduced in 2025, especially targeting the apparent growing problem of problem gambling in younger bettors. 

The new rules mean an introduction of maximum stakes. From April, a maximum stake of £5 per spin is being introduced for those 25 and over and, from May, players aged between 18 and 24 will only be able to stake up to £2 per spin. 

Kenny, who founded Paddy Power in 1988, along with fellow Irish bookmakers David Power and John Corcoran, doesn’t believe the regulations are strong enough. 

In an upcoming documentary, 'changing the odds', Kenny takes an in-depth look at online gambling. Kenny states that he still enjoys betting on football and horse racing but he delves into the problem side of betting. 

The former bookmaker stood down from Paddy power in 2016. In interviews since, he has said he walked away from the company because: “The industry was doing absolutely nothing… about gambling addiction.” 

He also said he shoulders some of the blame but pointed out that sports betting is not as harmful as online poker or casinos.

While he believes that sports betting is not as dangerous as other forms of online betting and that everybody should be free to choose what they do, to some extent, he points to sports betting sites that inundate new registrants with offers of free spins and free games at their casino arms. 

Kenny believes that the combination of the Internet, which he believes is inherently addictive, and gambling, makes for a too-powerful cocktail. He said: “There’s a fine balance here. If you want to bet, you should be allowed to bet. It’s a free society. So you don’t want to interfere with people’s entertainment too much.” 

Flutter Entertainment, which was formed by the merger of Paddy Power and Betfair in 2016 and now comprises Sky Betting & Gaming and Tombola as well, has pointed to initiatives it has taken in the past few years, including the voluntary introduction of stake limits. 

The group said: “We were pleased that some of these measures were publicly praised by Stewart as we respect his views.”

To learn more, visit our responsible gambling at casinos page which also offers resources and advice on where to seek help if needed.