The UK gambling industry remains one that overseas companies are keen to expand into. That’s the case with Peter & Sons who have announced that their portfolio of games will now be available on the White Hat Gaming network in the UK.
It’s the latest move by the company after they formed a global distribution partnership with Light & Wonder. In the past, Peter & Sons have signed deals with companies such as EveryMatrix and Relax Gaming.
This is an important move for Peter & Sons as it means games such as ‘Barbarossa’ and ‘Voodoo Hex’ will be available to play in a licensed and regulated market. It means companies can’t just behave in ways that may not be in the best interests of their customers with no one checking up on them.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) exists to give licenses to those operating in the industry. There are conditions attached to those licenses and if broken, they can lead to fines being issued or the license being taken away. This sees a higher level of customer protection in the licensed UK gambling industry. As you will read later in this article though, there is tighter regulation by the UK government on its way in 2025 and beyond.
Signing a deal with White Hat will give Peter & Sons wide exposure in the UK. New gambling websites where their games will now be available will include PlayZee.com and Casimba.com. It’s a good time for the launch in the UK to take place. They have recently released the game ‘Muddy Waters’ and this looks certain to become popular with UK players as the festive season approaches.
The White Hat deal continues the desire by the company to increase their market presence. It follows the global distribution agreement that they signed earlier this year with Light & Wonder. This didn’t just see them entering the UK market but also Italy, Spain and Canada.
Yann Bautista is the Peter & Sons commercial director. He saw the signing of the deal with Light & Wonder as “a major milestone” for the company. This new deal with White Hat Gaming is, he says, “the first phase in this exciting new chapter. “ He describes White Hat Gaming as “a major player” in not just the UK industry but also globally. In his view, “this collaboration is a win-win for both our companies.”
The Head of Content at White Hat Gaming is Jamie Lees. He says that while their platform has games from 130 providers, “none of them are quite like Peter & Sons.”
Slot games are a key part of any UK online casino. The slots section is often the first that many site members head to after logging into their accounts. However, it has also been a case that online slots can see some players losing large amounts of money in a short amount of time. There are also concerns by charities such as GamCare about how long players are spinning the reels for.
Last year, a UK government White Paper into gambling reform suggested a reduction in the maximum stake for online slots. There was not one in place unlike the machines that can be played at High Street bookmakers.
Earlier in 2024, it was announced by the then Conservative government that new reduced maximum stake limits would be introduced in September. Then came the change of power after the General Election and the changes were not introduced.
Labour agreed with most of the suggested measures in last year’s White Paper. They have now announced that the planned changes for maximum stake limits will now be introduced. Greater protection will be given to younger players as many have reported having problems with online slot games.
The new maximum stake for those aged between 18 and 24 will be just £2 per spin. For those aged 25 and over, it will be £5. Some campaigners have said that they would have preferred to see the £2 figure be introduced for all ages, not just those between 18 and 24.
There are concerns in the UK gambling industry that these new stake limits will affect revenue figures. That was what happened when fixed odds machines seen in High Street bookmakers had their maximum stakes greatly reduced. Shop closures and redundancies followed and the fear is that this will happen again when the new stake limits come into operation.
2025 is going to be an interesting year for the UK gambling industry. A new statutory levy is also due to be announced, looking to raise £100 million from UK operators.