Tests see 90% of pubs fail to stop children accessing 18+ gaming machines

The watchdog worked with licensing authorities and local police to test compliance on rules that mean children are not permitted to play Category C gaming machines, which have a maximum stake of £1 and a maximum prize pay-out of £100.

Pub staff are expected to stop children playing on the machines and there should be clear signage indicating the age restriction, the Gambling Commission said.

Helen Rhodes, Programme Director at the Gambling Commission, said: “We are extremely concerned that pubs across England are failing to stop children playing gaming machines designed for adults. We urgently call on the pub sector to take action immediately to enforce the laws in place to protect children and young people.”

“We expect to see significant improvement in further tests and will continue to work with licensing authorities to support any action required against those failing to adhere to the requirements.”

The current failure rate (89%) compares to an average failure rate of 15% to 30% for other age restricted products such as alcohol or tobacco.

The Commission has written to the pub industry outlining the findings of its work and calling for urgent improvements.

The Commission does not regulate gaming machines in pubs. Pubs are permitted to site gaming machines as part of its alcohol licence that is granted by local licensing authorities. It is the responsibility of those authorities to ensure compliance by pubs with the law.