Home

Gaming machine technical standards - consultation

1. There must be a method for each player to know when the next game will begin 1 9 Patch wires All patch wires and track cuts shall be documented in an appropriate manner in the relevant service manual and or service bulletin This does not prohibit required repairs in the field Gambling Commission Section 2 Software requirements 24 This section sets out the requirements that the Commission proposes relating to the security of the software within a gaming machine Although it is likely that the Commission will require that software is tested before it is approved for use in gaming machines the Commission also has an interest in ensuring that the software is not corrupted or altered inappropriately once the software is in use Identification and verification of software 29 The standards we propose would require that any program medium is uniquely identified including in this case information about the version number of the software provision 2 3 This is in addition to the requirement for the machine casing which is outlined above To ensure that this information can be verified in the field the software must be capable of undergoing an independent check from an outside source The most appropriate methods to ensure compliance for each category will be discussed as part of the consultation process This will also ensure that Commission or other enforcement staff can verify that the correct software is in use in a machine
2. c the gaming device model number and d the date of manufacture 1 3 Gaming device alarm alert requirements The gaming device shall be designed such that it is able to automatically alert the operator to situations such as a a player winning an amount or redeeming credits that the machine cannot automatically pay b an error condition occurring or c a call attendant being initiated Such a system must be transparent to the player when activated and sufficiently able to attract the attention of the operator Logic area requirement for categories A and B1 only Any electronic logic components that could significantly influence the operation of the gaming device shall be housed in an area that can be separately locked with its own locked door and should only be able to be accessed with the appropriate key There may be more than one such logic area in a gaming device Electronic component items that are required to be housed in one or more logic areas are a CPUs and other electronic components involved in the operation and calculation of game play eg game controller electronics and components housing the game or system firmware program storage media b electronics involved in the operation and calculation of game result determination c electronics involved in the calculation of game display and components housing display program storage medium passive display equipment exempted d communication controlle
3. the mathematical results signature of the hashing algorithm output of at least 128 bits to be reviewed periodically based on technology advancements and new security methods available b The Message Digest s for all files as defined in a shall reside on a memory device ROM based or other medium within the gaming device Message Digests which reside on any other medium shall be encrypted using a public private key algorithm with a minimum of a 512 bit key to be reviewed periodically based on technology advancements and new security methods available or an equivalent encryption algorithm with similar security c The gaming device shall authenticate all critical files against the stored Message Digest s d In the event of a failed authentication after the game has been powered up the gaming device should immediately enter an error condition and the operator be notified by the device accordingly The machine should also record the details including time and date of the error in a log This error shall require operator intervention The game shall display Gambling Commission 10 specific error information and shall not clear until either the file authenticates properly following the operator intervention or the medium is replaced or corrected and the device s memory is cleared the game is restarted and all files authenticate correctly e The device shall be capable of displaying the Message Digest of any and all files o
4. provision 2 7 In addition the machine itself should complete an integrity check on start up provision 2 1 in order to test that the program has not been corrupted or altered Interruption and resumption 26 27 28 29 30 Gambling Commission In our earlier consultation on licence conditions and codes of practice we stated that we would consider the standards needed to ensure that gambling remains fair and open where a gaming machine is interrupted during play Where a gambling device is interrupted eg power supply failure part way through a game there is currently no requirement either within statute or the machine guidelines requiring that the game be resumed to the state prior to the problem occurring Many standards operated in other jurisdictions and in particular Australia and Nevada require that gambling devices are resilient to game data loss as a result of power fluctuations The GLI standard for example requires that games are reinstated following any interruption including power loss to that state immediately prior to the problem occurring For categories A B1 and B2 the proposed standard will require that in the event of an interruption to a game in progress the game shall be able to recover to the state it was in immediately prior to the interruption occurring although it is recognised there will be circumstances where this will not be possible due to technological limitations After a program interrup
5. reset value the amount the progressive resets to after the progressive is won and k the participating gaming devices Nenad a Y ewraew war 9 8 Progressive controller program interruption After a program interruption eg power down the software shall be able to recover to the state it was in immediately prior to the interruption occurring 9 9 Progressive resumption On program resumption the following procedures shall be performed as a minimum requirement Gambling Commission 33 a Any communications to an external device shall not begin until the program resumption routine including self tests is completed successfully b Progressive system control programs shall test themselves for possible corruption due to failure of the program storage media The authentication may use the checksum however it is preferred that the Cyclic Redundancy Check CRC calculations are used as a minimum at least 16 bit Other test methodologies shall be acceptable if at a comparable level of integrity c The integrity of all critical memory shall be checked 9 10 Communication requirements for signalling of a jackpot There shall be a secure two way communication protocol between the progressive controller and any gambling device that is able to participate in the link 9 11 Monitoring of credits staked During the normal mode of progressive gaming devices the progressive controller shall continuously monitor each device on th
6. 22 Itis important to note that we have not stated how the operator and or manufacturer should configure their devices to meet these requirements as we wish to allow flexibility to take account of different venues and circumstances 23 We have also included requirements 1 8 to ensure that the system in its entirety complies with our requirements where more than one gaming machine uses a shared random number generator TECHNICAL STANDARD PROVISION All categories of gaming machine 1 0 Hardware requirements 1 1 Physical security A gaming device shall be robust enough to withstand forced illegal entry which would not leave behind evidence of the attempted entry Where any form of attempted forced entry causes an error code the machine shall only commence play once the error code has been cleared It is acceptable for the machine to clear such an error code and commence play provided that no critical game components have been or could be compromised and that the device is still able to withstand a forced illegal entry Otherwise an operator action shall be required to clear the error code Gambling Commission 5 1 2 Machine identification A gaming device shall have an identification badge permanently affixed to the exterior of the cabinet by the manufacturer which shall not be easily removable without leaving evidence of tampering The following information shall be displayed a the manufacturer b a unique serial number
7. Gambling Commission may set the order of magnitude that the display meter has to be greater than the expected trigger amount 9 6 Progressive controller requirement A progressive controller is all of the hardware and software 2 that controls all communications between progressive gaming devices and gaming machines that calculates the value of the progressive prizes that displays the value of those prizes appropriately and associated progressive metering os 22 9 7 Setting the jackpot amount The method by which system jackpot parameter values are modified or entered is to be secure All progressive gaming devices or any approved progressive system component shall display upon request the following information for each progressive prize offered if applicable a current value current prize amount b overflow amount exceeding limit c hits number of times this progressive was won wins total value of wins for this progressive or a history of the last 25 progressive hits base starting value limit jackpot limit value if the jackpot is capped at a maximum limit it is not required to add the overflow amounts to the next starting value g increment percentage increment rate h secondary increment percentage increment rate after limit is reached i hidden increment percentage increment rate for the reserve pool the next base amount shall be computed or posted to advise the player of this contribution j
8. communication protocols to protect the random number generator and random selection process from influence by associated equipment which may be communicating with the gaming device The RNG shall be protected from external influences such as from electromagnetic and electrostatic interference and radio waves The game shall not substitute a particular type of loser to show to the player This would eliminate the possibility of simulating a Near Miss scenario where the odds of the top award symbol landing on the pay line are limited but frequently appear above or below the pay line The selection process a shall be uniformly distributed over the entire output range and pass appropriate statistical tests b must be unpredictable in output ie it must be computationally infeasible to predict what the next number will be given complete knowledge of the algorithm or hardware generating the sequence and all previously generated numbers and c must not reproduce the same output stream nor must two instances of an RNG produce the same stream as each other Where seeding is required to achieve this seeding should not introduce predictability Unless otherwise denoted on the screen or machine where the gaming device plays a game that is recognisable such as Poker Blackjack Roulette and is described as such by title or visually the same probabilities and rules associated with the live game shall be evident in the simulated game For other
9. gaming devices such as spinning reel games or video spinning reel games the mathematical probability of a symbol appearing in a position in any game outcome shall be constant 5 4 Mechanical based RNG games Mechanical based RNG games are games that use the laws of physics to generate the outcome of the game All mechanical based RNG games must meet the requirements of this document with the exception of requirements dedicated only to electronic random number generators In addition mechanical based RNG games must meet the following rules a The mechanical pieces must be constructed of materials to prevent decomposition of any component over time eg a ball shall not disintegrate b The properties of physical items used to choose the selection shall not be altered c The player shall not have the ability to physically interact or come into physical contact or manipulate the machine physically with the mechanical portion of the game 5 5 Scaling algorithms If a random number with a range shorter than that provided by the RNG is required for some purpose within the gaming device the method of re scaling ie converting the number to the lower range is to be designed in such a way that all numbers within the lower range are equally probable If a particular random number selected is outside the range of equal distribution of re scaling values it is permissible to discard that random number and select the next in sequence for the
10. on regulations required under Part 10 of the Act and details will be available in due course on its website www culture gov uk Our standards will be amended if necessary once the content of those regulations has been finalised DCMS will be consulting on a number of options in some key areas and the standards will be amended to reflect the option that is chosen at the end of their consultation The standards set out in this document have some gaps where further discussion is needed with all interested parties to establish the appropriate standards The Commission will work closely with the industry and others to consult on these areas during July and August 2006 The Act provides for four categories of gaming machine and DCMS has stated its intention to set the stakes and prizes for those categories and sub categories as follows A Unlimited Unlimited B1 2 4 000 B2 Maximum multiple stake 100 500 per game 500 250 25 10p if money prize is available 5 money prize 30p if non monetary prize is 8 non monetary prize available The Commission will issue a consultation document on the standards that will apply to casino and bingo equipment used in licensed premises This document will be available on our website at www gamblingcommission gov uk One of the reasons that the technical detail of the requirements for gaming machines will be left to technical standards rather than included in regulatio
11. purpose of re scaling Gambling Commission 21 5 6 The single game definition and rules A game commences when credit s for play is deducted from the player s credit or play meter and as a result they are able or offered the opportunity to gamble The outcome of any gambling opportunity offered within the game must not be known to the player prior to the stake being taken or committed to play The stake must be deducted from the credit or play meter prior to the outcome of any gambling opportunity being displayed to the player The total prize value that may be awarded within the single game including that won as a result of any bonus or other feature such as free games shall not exceed the statutory maximum A game is considered complete when all money or money s worth initially staked or won within the same game is either lost or has been delivered in full and is available for collection by the player and that there are no further opportunities to gamble until the next game is initiated Only one game may be credited up to the maximum statutory limit at any given time Before credit s for play can be taken in the current game the previous game must have first been completed in full and the result shown to the player This section does not preclude the use of multi line multi stake games provided that the total stake and prize do not exceed the statutory maximum for the single game 5 7 Game speed of play categories
12. source to retain its contents when the main s power is switched off shall have a detection system which will provide a method for software to interpret and act upon a low battery condition 3 4 Unrecoverable critical memory An un correctable corruption of RAM shall result ina RAM error The RAM should not be cleared automatically but shall require a full RAM clear performed by an authorised person 3 5 Function of RAM reset Clearing non volatile memory shall only be able to be undertaken by accessing the logic area in which it is housed Following the initiation of a RAM reset procedure utilising a certified RAM clear method the game program shall execute a routine which initialises each and every bit in RAM to the default state For games that allow for partial RAM clears the methodology for doing so must be accurate and the game must validate the un cleared portions of RAM The default reel position or game display after a RAM reset shall not be the top award on any selectable line The default game display upon entering game play mode shall also not be the top award This applies to the base game only and not any secondary bonus devices Gambling Commission 15 Section 4 Payment to the machine 36 37 DCMS regulations will cover the means in which coins notes and other forms of payment may be credited to the machine including the amounts that be deposited by one single action by the customer The regulations will als
13. to investigate a breach We therefore believe that the decision to clear this data should be carried out only when authorised by the relevant person in the organisation and not at the discretion of all staff TECHNICAL STANDARD PROVISION Category A and B1 machines only 3 0 Critical memory requirements 3 1 Contents of critical memory Critical memory is used to store all data that is considered vital to the continued operation of the gaming device This includes but is not limited to a all electronic meters required in Electronic Metering within the machine including last bill data and power up and door open metering b current value of any meters credits and bank values c gaming device game configuration data d information pertaining to the last five 5 plays with the RNG outcome including the current game if incomplete and e software state the last normal state the gaming device software was in before interruption 3 2 Maintenance of critical memory Critical memory storage shall be maintained by a methodology that enables errors to be identified and corrected in most circumstances This methodology may involve signatures checksums partial checksums multiple copies timestamps and or effective use of validity codes Comprehensive checks of critical memory shall be made during each gaming device restart eg power up cycle Gaming device control programs software that operates the gaming device s functions s
14. types of gambling or game features permitted but will be less onerous in terms of the software and hardware requirements when compared to higher categories of machine The Act ensures that there is no licensing requirement relating to nationality or location the Commission will accept applications for licences from companies based in any other jurisdiction so long as they have an address in Britain at which notices can be served The regime will ensure that machines can be imported where there is equivalence between standards in place here and the standards of the machine to be imported We expect to accredit a number of test houses which may have their main location anywhere in the world It is likely that operators will be able to submit a product to the test house of their choice and have that product tested to the standards set by a number of jurisdictions at the same time This document sets out our proposals for technical standards and is broken down into the following sections Section 1 Hardware requirements Section 2 Software requirements Section 3 Critical memory requirements Section 4 Payment to the machine and to the game Section 5 Game requirements Section 6 Error requirements Section 7 Meter requirements Section 8 Display requirements Section 9 Progressive gaming devices in casinos Although not included in this document we will also be considering the requirements for smart card loyalty card or other paym
15. A COMMISSION Gaming Machine Technical Standards Consultation paper June 2006 Introduction ie The Gambling Act 2005 gives the Gambling Commission as part of its statutory role the responsibility to license operators that manufacture supply install adapt maintain or repair gaming machines The Commission has the power to set standards for gaming machines and provide for their enforcement by way of licence conditions The Act enables the Commission to require licensees and applicants for licences to submit to machine testing including testing by external bodies In March 2006 the Commission published a consultation document Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice That document contains our approach to setting the conditions and codes that will apply to each of the sectors we will regulate once the Gambling Act is fully implemented The document explained that it would be a condition of gaming machine technical operating licences that they comply with the Commission s technical standards It also clarified that further to the requirement to submit to tests set out in the Act it will be a licence condition to comply with Commission procedures for those tests More generally the document explained our broad approach to setting standards to support our licensing objectives to keep crime out of gambling to ensure that gambling is fair and open and to protect children and the vulnerable from being harmed or exploited by gambli
16. A B1 B3 B4 C D Each game must take no less than 2 5 seconds to complete 5 8 Use of compensators and or regulators metamorphic games for compensated machines only and only permitted for categories B3 B4 C and D The use of compensators or regulators to determine any stage of the game outcome with the exception of pre gambles is permitted provided that the following is complied with a Each possible permutation or combination of game elements that produces winning or losing game outcomes shall be available for selection at the initiation of each play b The outcome of any gamble must not be predictable to the player c Cyclic periods of play are not deliberately introduced and due care is exercised to prevent their inadvertent occurrence d The chance of winning a prize must not be so adversely affected so as to deliberately create a series of loosing raking periods or winning games enriched periods e The prize distribution should not differ significantly from that which would be expected from a random device with a similar game characteristic The game shall not substitute a particular type of loser to show to the player This would eliminate the simulation of a Near Miss scenario where the odds of the top award symbol landing on the pay line are limited but frequently appear above or below the pay line 5 9 Live jackpots Except for a single live jackpot feature no stand alone machine shall offer prizes which i
17. B4 C and D but we wish to discuss during this consultation the appropriate metering requirements for each individual category We will wish to take account of proposals for compliance and enforcement and the different operational environment for different types of venue TECHNICAL STANDARD PROVISION All categories of gaming machine 7 0 Meter requirements 7 1 Credits used to initiate a new game Credits used to initiate a new game see section 5 6 must come from a single meter which may be described as a credit or play meter It is not permissible to do so from any other source The player shall have the option to view any funds held in such a meter as a monetary value The above section will be reviewed once the content of regulations under section 240 of the Act has been settled 7 2 Electronic accounting and occurrence meters categories A and B1 Electronic accounting meters shall be at least eight 8 digits in length If the meter is being used in pounds and pence at least eight 8 digits must be used for the pound amount The meter must roll over to zero upon the next occurrence any time the meter is eight 8 digits or higher and after 99 999 999 has been reached or any other value that is logical Occurrence meters shall be at least three 3 digits in length and roll over to zero upon the next occurrence any time the meter is higher that the maximum number of digits for that meter The required electronic meters
18. a This integrity check will provide a means for field testing the software to identify and validate the program The test laboratory prior to device approval shall approve the integrity check method categories B3 B4 C and D At a minimum the device shall have the ability to allow a visual inspection of the game software and operating system version using either an available matrix or video display Gambling Commission 13 Section 3 Critical memory requirements 33 Section 3 is a requirement for the gaming machine to protect critical data in particular the contents of the player s credits whether in one or more meters so that in the event of a power or other non catastrophic failure the game can either be restored or the last known state can be assessed for dispute purposes 34 The specific requirements for critical memory are only intended to be a requirement for category A and B1 machines ie the requirement for error detection during power up memory battery back up and RAM error handling as described in sections 3 1 3 4 We intend to discuss with the industry what minimum requirements should be set for lower categories of machine 35 Section 3 5 specifies that it must be necessary to access the separately locked logic area in the case of category A and B1 or the locked cabinet in the case of all other categories of machine to carry out a RAM clear Data cleared in this way would be needed for disputes or
19. acker full the note acceptor should disable itself to accept no more bills The game should not generate an error message when the stacker is full b note jams it is acceptable for the note acceptor to indicate there is a note jam by disabling itself to accept no more notes or by some other method c note acceptor door open where a note acceptor door is the glass door a door open signal is sufficient d stacker door open or stacker removed The note acceptor device shall perform a self test at each power up In the event of a self test failure the note acceptor shall automatically disable itself ie enter note reject state until the error state has been cleared Gambling Commission 27 Section 7 Meter requirements 49 DCMS is preparing a formal consultation on the proposals for regulations under section 240 of the Act In that consultation it intends to set out proposals for the way in which money may be deposited to the machine committed to play and winnings re staked We will amend this section of the standards once the position for section 240 regulations has been settled 50 Inthe meantime this section sets out the requirements for internal metering of the stakes game action prizes won and access to the machine 51 Section 7 2 sets out the intended requirements for electronic accounting and meters for categories A and B1 We consider that some or all of requirements will be appropriate for categories B2 B3
20. are as follows accounting meters are designated with an asterisk a The coins in OR cash in meter shall cumulatively count the total amounts staked during game play except credits that are won during the game that are subsequently risked in a double up mode b The coins out OR credit out meter shall cumulatively count all amounts won by the player at the end of the game that were not paid by an attendant including amounts paid by a Gambling Commission 28 ticket printer This meter must not increment for bills inserted and cashed out ie when the device is used as a change machine c The drop meter shall maintain a cumulative count of the number of coins that have been diverted into a drop bucket and credit value of all bills and tickets coupons inserted into the bill acceptor for play It is acceptable to have separate drop meters for coins bills tickets and coupons d The hand pays meter shall reflect the cumulative amounts paid by an attendant for progressive and non progressive hand pays e The games played meter shall display the cumulative number of games played since the last RAM clear f A cabinet door meter shall display the number of times the front cabinet door was opened since the last RAM clear g The drop door meter shall display the number of times the drop door or the bill acceptor door was opened since the last RAM clear h The progressive occurrence meter shall count the number of times
21. c reel number shall be identified in the error code inthe final positioning of the reel if the position error exceeds one half of the width of the smallest symbol excluding blanks on the reel strip and microprocessor controlled reels shall be monitored to detect malfunctions such as a reel which is jammed or is not spinning freely or any attempt to manipulate their final resting position and l power reset wm aro re aAa PS FQSCMVDAVTDH x co NOTE This rule also applies to the Note Acceptor Error Conditions For games that use error codes a description of gaming device error codes and their meanings shall be affixed inside the gaming device This does not apply to video based games however video based games shall display meaningful text as to the error conditions 6 2 Printer error conditions Gambling Commission 26 A printer shall have mechanisms to allow software to interpret and act upon the following conditions a out of paper paper low b presentation error c printer jam failure and d printer disconnected which may only be detected when the software tries to print These conditions shall trigger an error condition to indicate the error has occurred 6 3 Note acceptor error conditions Each gaming device and or note acceptor shall have the capability of detecting and displaying for note acceptors it is acceptable to disable or flash a light or lights the following error conditions a st
22. cabinet area In addition category A and B1 machines will be required to have a separately locked logic area The components that will be required to be housed in this separately locked logic area for category A and B1 machines are often in the form of flash cards which are designed to be removed and replaced easily for the purposes of upgrades and changes For that reason we believe that it should require a separate key to access the logic area Finally to prevent confusion or misunderstandings postproduction hardware modifications such as track cuts changes to conductor paths on circuit boards and patch wires additional conductor paths should be documented 1 9 though it is not intended that this should prevent field repairs 21 A further requirement will be for a machine identification badge to be fitted 1 2 This is intended to help with machine tracking in the field and will assist the Gambling Commission and other enforcement officers for example when assessing whether a machine is legally sited and compliant We have also included requirements on video 1 6 and reel band 1 7 displays to ensure fairness and transparency and also to ensure that machines can attract the attention of the operator in the event that an error condition or external payment call is initiated 1 3 In order to minimise security risk we have also required video monitor systems to be calibrated without need to access the critical components of the machine
23. communication board for the on line system may reside outside the gaming device and e all flash memory devices that affect the game play function of the gaming device 1 5 Configuration settings It shall not be possible to change a configuration setting that causes an obstruction to the electronic accounting meters without a RAM clear A change to the denomination must be done by a secure means which includes access to the locked logic area or other approved procedure Monitoring of denomination changes would assist in preventing note validation fraud All switches and or jumpers shall be fully documented and any hardware system which may alter the configuration settings such as pay tables game denomination or payout percentages in the operation of the gaming device must be housed within a secure logic area This includes top award changes including progressives selectable blackjack settings or any other option that would affect the payout percentage 1 6 Video monitors touch screens All video games shall meet the following rules a Touch screens shall be accurate and once calibrated shall maintain that accuracy for at least the manufacturer s recommended maintenance period b A touch screen should be able to be re calibrated by venue staff without access to the machine cabinet other than opening the main door c There shall be no hidden or undocumented buttons touch points anywhere on the screen except as provided for b
24. continue to be displayed when and the gaming device shall remain locked up The program shall not be adversely affected by the simultaneous or sequential activation of the various inputs and outputs such as play buttons which might whether intentionally or not cause malfunctions or invalid results On program resumption the following procedures shall be performed as a minimum requirement a Any communications to an external device shall not begin until the program resumption routine including self tests is completed successfully b Gaming device control programs shall test themselves for possible corruption due to failure of the program storage media The authentication may use the checksum however it is preferred that the Cyclic Redundancy Check CRC calculations are used as a minimum at least 16 bit Other test methodologies shall be of a certified type Gambling Commission 11 c The integrity of all critical memory shall be checked Where a peripheral device such as a note acceptor accepting a note or printer printing a coupon credit note is in operation during a power failure it shall where practicable on resumption of the power either complete or restart the task successfully or display an error message indicating that such a fault has occurred The error message shall remain until the fault has been resolved by either the actions of the machine or the operator In all circumstances the metering or audit controls s
25. ction once DCMS has received responses to that consultation and confirmed the content of the 240 regulations Gambling Commission 19 Other game features 44 The restrictions on other game features are set out at section 5 9 5 15 of the draft standards below 45 Staking additional credits once the game has commenced will be prohibited 5 12 though we do not intend to prevent games that offer a variable stake prior to commencement such as multi line type reel games so long as total stake is within the maximum stake limit for the relevant category of machine There may be circumstances in which exceptions to this rule should be made for example a machine which offers a game of blackjack in which as in current machines the customer is offered the chance to spilt double the stake We would welcome representations on the types of games where an exception might be made The rules with regards pre gambles a feature currently in operation in the market have been carried over into section 5 13 of these standards though in future they will be considered to be part of the single game and will therefore have to comply with section 5 7 of these standards speed of play 46 Games that carry over features or elements from one game to another also known as game links are frequently used as a way of increasing enjoyment of the game Such a feature can be adapted to combine a series of prizes so that the total breaches the maximum prize lev
26. d to make payments it shall be located in a locked area of the gaming device eg require opening of the main door to access but not in the logic area This requirement ensures that changing the paper does not require access to the logic areas The printed ticket voucher hand pay receipt shall display the following information a operators name city b gaming device number c date and time 24 hour format of issuance d alpha numeric currency amount e sequence number f validation number g unique identifier eg bar code and h transaction type cash out ticket hand pay receipt 4 4 Ticket validation Payment by ticket printer as a method of credit redemption is only permissible when a There is an independent means to validate the printed ticket voucher hand pay receipt prior to any credit or other type of redemption The validation system must be able to identify duplicate tickets to prevent fraud by reprinting and redeeming a ticket that was previously issued by the gaming device b The system has the ability to display the following information though not necessarily on the ticket Gambling Commission 17 total money s worth inserted since last zero credit including TITO shown separately to cash in and total number of games completed since last zero credit To meet this standard an audit trail of at least one month s data relating to all ticket transactions must be maintained for dispute purpo
27. e c the progressive controller shall automatically reset to the reset amount and continue normal play and d display the new progressive values Gambling Commission 34 9 15 Progressive controller error conditions When a progressive controller error occurs it is preferred that it alternates the displays or equivalent between the current amount and an appropriate error message that is visible to all players or can alert the casino to the error condition The game in progress is to be disabled and an error shall be displayed that is transparent to all players who may participate in a game linked to the progressive prize if the following events occur a during a communication failure b when there have been multiple communication errors c when a controller checksum or signature has failure d when a controllers RAM or PSD program storage device mismatch or failure occurs e when the current amount is larger than the limit see also jackpot limits below f when the jackpot configuration is lost or is not set g if there has been an unfeasible amount of credits staked as defined by the parameters of the progressive set up based on the number of machines to the amount staked ratio and h ifthe gaming machine and the controller s meters do not reconcile 9 16 Transferring of progressive jackpot The progressive controller shall have a secure means of transferring a progressive jackpot win to the appropriate de
28. e link for credits staked and shall multiply the same by the rate of progression and denomination in order to determine the correct amounts to apply to the progressive jackpot 9 12 Access to the progressive controller Each progressive controller used with a progressive gaming device shall be housed in a secure environment allowing only authorised accessibility 9 13 Progressive controller required meters The progressive controller or other approved progressive system component shall keep the following information in non volatile memory which shall be displayed on demand a the number of progressive jackpots won on each progressive level if the progressive display has more than one winning amount b the cumulative amounts paid on each progressive level if the progressive display has more than one winning amount c the maximum amount of the progressive payout for each level displayed d the minimum amount of the progressive payout for each level displayed and e the rate of progression for each level displayed 9 14 Controller and display functions during progressive jackpot win When a progressive jackpot win is recorded on a gambling device which is linked to the progressive controller the progressive controller shall allow for the following to occur on the device and or progressive display a display of the winning amount b display of the electronic gaming device identification that caused the progressive meter to activat
29. each progressive meter see section 9 of this document for requirements relating to progressives is activated 7 3 Metering of note acceptor events A gaming device which contains a note acceptor device shall maintain sufficient electronic metering to be able to report the following a total monetary value of all items accepted b total number of all items accepted and c a break down of the notes accepted for notes the game shall report the number accepted for each denomination for all other notes non legal tender the game shall have a separate meter that reports the number of accepted denomination of the last five 5 notes inserted 7 4 Multi game game specific meters In addition to the electronic accounting meters required above each individual game available for play shall have at least Credits Bet and Credits Won meters in either credits or pounds Even if a double up or gamble game is lost the initial win amount credits bet amount shall be recorded in the game specific meters Alternatively there can be separate meters that accounts for the double up or gamble information either way the method of metering must be transparent 7 5 Door open close metering The gambling device shall be able to detect and meter access to the following doors or secure areas a all external doors b drop box door and c bill acceptor door Gambling Commission 29 Section 8 Display requireme
30. eing test reports as part of its regulatory Gambling Commission 2 function before authorising a new or altered product and when undertaking decisions on licensing We will be consulting further on test processes later this year The Commission s broad approach 11 12 13 14 15 16 Gambling Commission As stated in our earlier consultation document Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice we have reviewed the current gaming machine guidelines and standards operated in other jurisdictions and have considered not only the licensing objectives but also subject to those objectives the need to avoid unnecessary restrictions on the development of games or the way in which they are provided As a result of our review we have now developed machine standards which are similar in nature to those operated in the US and Australia which we consider to be the most suitable model on which to base our own requirements It is important to note that the model which is referred to here relates only to the machines standards from these countries which are rigorous and detailed The Act sets out a different approach in general to the location and operation of gaming machines The proposed standards have been developed by examining and addressing the possible risks associated with each category of machine For example in the case of category D machines which may be played by children the standards have more restrictions on the
31. el for a single game or to imply to the customer that a higher prize is available For this reason we have introduced an additional requirement that game links cannot be used to automatically repeat a win or other feature see section 5 14 of these standards TECHNICAL STANDARD PROVISION All categories of gaming machine 5 0 Specific game requirements 5 1 General requirement random machines only categories A B1 and B2 must be random A gaming device at a minimum will contain embodiment of randomness in determination of prizes contain some form of activation to initiate the selection process and contain a methodology for delivery of the determined outcome The use of compensators or regulators to determine any stage of the game outcome is not permitted in any form 5 2 General requirement compensated machines only categories B3 B4 C and D may be random or compensated A gaming device at a minimum will contain embodiment of randomness in determination of prizes contain some form of activation to initiate the selection process and contain a methodology for delivery of the determined outcome 5 3 Random number generator RNG requirements Each possible permutation or combination of game elements that produces winning or losing game outcomes shall be available for random selection at the initiation of each play unless otherwise denoted by the game Gambling Commission 20 A gaming device shall use appropriate
32. ent systems for wireless communication between back office systems and for downloadable games systems and will consult separately on these issues 17 In this document we present proposed technical standard provisions in boxes Compliance with technical standards will be a condition of a gaming machine technical operating licence and therefore it is the text within boxes that will have the effect of a licence condition The text outside of the boxes is explanatory material 18 We have included a short explanation of the aims of each of Sections 1 9 and the approach we have taken However it will be particularly important for manufacturers and suppliers to consider the draft requirements themselves rather than rely on our short explanation 19 In this document the term game is intended to encompass all forms of gambling as set out in the Act including virtual betting as specifically provided for in the section 235 definition of gaming machine The term game is kept merely for convenience Gambling Commission 4 Section 1 Hardware requirements 20 Section 1 of the standards Hardware requirements is predominantly a requirement for the machine to be physically secure 1 1 ensuring that the logic components critical to the game function 1 4 and configuration settings 1 5 are adequately protected from the risk of tampering All categories of machine will be required to locate critical components within a locked
33. er in that they must be fully aware of what they are playing for or pre gambling for d Pre gambles must be transparent in that they must be natural odds player get what he sees and there can be no form of compensation or payment or retention of winnings in the event that a short or long series of game outcomes falls outside that normally expected e Following a 10 second period in which there is no game played and there is insufficient credit to play a game any set gamble level is to be reset to no gamble 5 14 Game links A game link is where an element feature or outcome from a previous game is either held over or made reference to recreated in the current game eg reel band holds Links between games are not permissible unless they comply with the following a Any reference or link made to any previous game must occur randomly b The percentage chance of being awarded a link to the previous game shall be 50 or less c The player must not be aware of whether a link will be given or have the opportunity to use it before he commits himself to the game d No subsequent game link is permissible to the current game where a prize has been awarded and delivered to the player It is not permissible to force or create a series of wins enriched periods using any link feature s 5 15 Multiple games on the gaming device a The methodology used to select and discard a particular game for play on a multi game device shall be
34. hall be able to identify any accounting anomalies for dispute purposes Microprocessor controlled reels eg stepper motor reels shall re spin automatically to the last valid play mode result when the play mode is re entered and the reel positions have been altered eg the main door is closed power is restored audit mode is exited or an error condition cleared 2 5 Last game recall all categories of machine Information on at least the last five 5 games is to be always retrievable on the operation of a suitable external key switch or another secure method that is not available to the player Last play information shall provide all information required to fully reconstruct the last five 5 plays All values shall be displayed including the initial credits credits bet credits won and credits paid If a progressive prize was awarded see section 9 of these standards it is sufficient to indicate that fact the value need not be displayed This information should include the final game outcome including all player choices and bonus features In addition the results of Double up or Gamble if applicable The five 5 game recall shall reflect bonus rounds in their entirety If a bonus round lasts x number of events each with separate outcomes each of the x events shall be displayed with its corresponding outcome if the outcome results in an award The recall shall also reflect position dependent events if the outcome result
35. hall test for possible corruption caused by failure of the program storage medium and all critical game functions Test methodology shall detect 99 99 percent of all possible failures Gambling Commission 14 The control program software that operates the gaming device s functions shall allow for the gaming device to ensure the integrity of all control program components during execution of said components All PSDs program storage devices in the executable address space of a main processor shall be validated during the following conditions a any power up and b the first time the files are loaded for use even if only partially loaded RAM and PSD space that are not critical to machine security eg video or sound ROM are not required to be validated 3 3 Program memory RAM and non volatile devices used to store program memory The following are requirements for RAM a A battery back up or an equivalent shall be installed on the game for the electronic meters and shall be capable of maintaining the accuracy of all information required for thirty 30 days after power is discontinued from the machine The back up device shall be kept within the locked logic area b If the battery back up is used as an off chip battery source it shall re charge itself to its full potential in a maximum of twenty four 24 hours The shelf life shall be at least five 5 years c Random access memory that uses an off chip back up power
36. ical events symbols it is not permitted that the last few events symbols needed are more difficult to obtain than the previous events symbols of that kind unless denoted otherwise as in the case of compensated devices e It shall be transparent to the player that the game is in a bonus mode 5 12 Additional credit s staked during the game Machines must not permit players to stake any additional credits in a game once play has started ie the point at which a stake s has been deducted from the player s credit or play meter and they are able or offered the opportunity to gamble This does not prevent the use of multi stake multi Gambling Commission 23 line game configurations where the player is able to alter the value of the stake per line prior to the game starting 5 13 Pre gamble Where the player is given the opportunity at the start of the game to enter into a gamble pre gamble and the prizes available or the odds of achieving those prizes is linked to the odds of a successful outcome of the pre gamble the following shall be complied with a The player must always be given the option at the start of the game to use the pre gamble or not and must always be given the option not to do so b The odds of achieving a prize when not using the pre gamble should not be so adversely affected so as to unduly influence the player to do so c The prize awards related to each pre gamble option must be transparent to the play
37. ing cycle causes some delay so that the jackpot meter will not reflect precisely the actual monies in the progressive pool at each instance but they should be designed to maximise the frequency at which it will be updated Where multiple items of information are displayed on a progressive meter it is sufficient to have the information displayed in an alternating fashion provided that the monetary value that is available to win is transparent to the player Any device that has a feature that doubles or triples etc any win shall have a sign that states the progressive award will not be doubled or tripled if won during the feature if this is the intention 9 4 Types of updating displays Gambling Commission 32 The use of odometer and other paced updating displays are allowed The progressive meter shall display the winning value within 30 seconds of the jackpot being recognised by the central system In the case of the use of paced updating displays the system jackpot meter shall display the winning value after the jackpot broadcast is received from the central system 9 5 Progressive display digital limitations If the progressive meter s progresses to its maximum display amount the meter shall freeze and remain at the maximum value until awarded to a player This can be avoided by setting the jackpot limit in accordance with the digital limitations of the sign expected trigger amount should be less than the maximum display value The
38. ing device shall enter an error condition and display an error condition for at least thirty 30 seconds or be cleared by an attendant Coins tokens judged invalid by the acceptor shall be rejected to the coin tray and shall not be counted as credits Acceptance of coins tokens for crediting to the credit meter shall only be possible when the gaming device is enabled for play Other states such as error conditions including door opens and audit mode shall disable the coin token acceptor system Each coin token inserted shall register the actual monetary value or a number of credits on the player s credit meter for the current game or bet meter If registered directly as credits the conversion rate shall be clearly stated or be easily ascertainable from the gaming device All note acceptance devices shall be able to detect the entry of valid notes coupons paper tokens or other approved notes if applicable and provide a method to enable the gaming device software to interpret and act appropriately upon a valid or invalid input The acceptance device s shall be electronically based and be configured to ensure that they only accept valid notes of legal tender Note acceptors may also accept coupons paper tokens or other approved notes and must reject all others accurately The note input system shall be constructed in a manner that protects against vandalism abuse or fraudulent activity In addition note acceptance device s shall meet the follow
39. ing rules for all acceptable types of medium Gambling Commission 16 d Credits shall only be registered when the note or other valid token has passed the point where it is accepted and stacked and the acceptor has sent the irrevocably stacked message to the machine e If note acceptors are designed to be factory set only it shall not be possible to access or conduct maintenance or adjustments to those note acceptors in the field other than the selection of notes coupons paper tokens or other approved notes and their limits changing of EPROMs or downloading of software adjustment of the tolerance level for accepting notes or tokens of varying quality should only be allowed with adequate levels of security in place This can be accomplished through lock and key physical switch settings or other accepted methods approved on a case by case basis maintenance adjustment and repair per approved factory procedures or options that set the direction or orientation of acceptance 4 2 Tokenisation For games that allow tokenisation the game shall receive from the bill acceptor and post to the player the entire amount inserted If the current local currency amount is not an even multiple of the tokenisation factor for a game or the credit amount has a fractional component the system will retain the value for the benefit of the next player 4 3 Printers If a gaming device is equipped with a printer that is use
40. n demand through the audit mode 2 2 Flash memory devices Flash memory devices that contain the control program are allowed provided that the ability to re write or flash the device whilst installed in the logic board is physically disabled ie write line cut on the logic board Each use of flash memory devices will be assessed An equally secure alternative method of write protection will be permitted 2 3 Program storage medium identification Any program medium ROMs EPROMs FLASH ROMs DVD and CD ROM placed in the field shall be uniquely identified displaying a program ID number b manufacturer c version number d type and size of medium unless located on the medium as purchased unused from the supplier e location of installation in gaming device if potentially confusing and f issue installation date For EPROM based games the identification label shall be placed over the UV window to avoid erasing or alterations of the program 2 4 Program interruption and resumption categories A B1 B2 After a program interruption eg power down the software shall be able to recover to the state it was in immediately prior to the interruption occurring If a gaming device is powered down while in an error condition and power is later restored the gaming device will either a detect that the error has been corrected in which case play may continue or b ifthe error remains the error message shall
41. ncrease or appear to increase from one game to the next other than on a random 50 basis The live jackpot shall not be linked to any other gaming device and must comply with the following rules Gambling Commission 22 a The true value of the live jackpot the prize value which may be won within the game and any reserve used shall be displayed to the player at all times and must be available in every game It may only be won by means of a random outcome within the game b The live jackpot and its reserve must start off from zero except after a win when the live jackpot has been immediately replenished by the value in the reserve and be incremented in proportion to the number of games played It is not a requirement for the live jackpot and reserve to be incremented in unison or at the same rate c The prize award may be comprised of a fixed value which must be transparent to the player at all times together with the live jackpot provided that the total including any other prize won in the single game cannot exceed the statutory maximum d If an alternative prize option other than a prize of no value is selected the live jackpot prize must remain unaffected Once however the live jackpot option is selected the live jackpot prize must be delivered and the live jackpot reduced to zero regardless of whether the live jackpot is delivered directly or is subject to some intervening gamble or skill feature In this section a re
42. ng This document contains further information about the standards we intend to apply to each category of gaming machine and invites comments It will be of interest to those who wish to be licensed by the Commission as gaming machine technical operators to gambling operators who wish to have gaming machines on their premises and to all those who have an interest in ensuring that technical standards help to secure the licensing objectives The document has necessarily been targeted at those with technical knowledge of gaming machines although we have included brief summaries of our aims for the various provisions we propose Information about how to respond is available at paragraph 59 Background and context 4 The Commission currently agrees guidelines for gaming machines with BACTA British Amusement Catering Trade Association that set out in detail the requirements for game features such as holds and nudges and for payment methods where these issues are not sufficiently covered by the Gaming Act 1968 Although these guidelines are widely adopted they are not legally enforceable 10 The Commission s future standards will take account of the requirements for gaming machines set out in the Gambling Act 2005 and those which will be made under regulations under that Act In particular regulations under Section 236 and Sections 240 will be relevant The Department for Culture Media and Sport DCMS is preparing to consult separately
43. ns is that this allows complex detail to be addressed using technical vocabulary where necessary This will give greater flexibility to take account of developments in technology and innovation in game design both by allowing such developments to take place but also ensuring that the principles set out in the standards continue to be met It also means that the standards can be made a licence condition specifically for those manufacturing supplying or maintaining machines rather than all those who site machines on their premises for example The Commission will as a result of both these gaming machine standards and those for casino and bingo equipment identify the appropriate tests that should be carried out particularly on new machine types It is our intention to accredit a number of test houses who will be authorised to carry out tests to the Commission s standards Licensed machine manufacturers and suppliers would be responsible for submitting products to one of the independent test houses and meeting the costs of tests directly We do not intend to limit the number of test houses that may become accredited and hope that this will enable operators to have products tested without unreasonable delay especially since they will have a choice of test house The test houses will be accredited to ensure their independence and their capability to carry out the relevant tests The Commission will monitor the output from external tests including se
44. nts 52 Itis intended that this section on display requirements will work closely with regulations set by DCMS For categories A B1 B2 B3 B4 and C it will be a requirement to display at a minimum information on where to get help for problem gambling a statement on the nature of the machine ie whether it is random or compensated information on the percentage return to player and a notice identifying the machine as suitable for 18s and over 53 We recognise that all of these issues are difficult to explain especially within a limited display space and in an environment where customers will only be willing to read short and succinct messages Therefore we are gathering views on what the exact content of the display notices should be we would welcome responses on this issue as part of this consultation 54 We are also considering what information a category D machine should display and again would welcome views on this issue as part of this consultation TECHNICAL STANDARD PROVISION All categories of gaming machine 8 0 Artwork and game display requirements 8 1 Terminal pay glass video display This section will set out the display requirements Please see paragraph 51 above which sets out some of the requirements we are considering and some issues on which we would welcome views as part of the responses to the consultation 8 2 Information to be displayed A gaming device shall display or shall have displa
45. o cover the amounts that may be committed to play by the customer in one single action This section will not include the effect of those requirements on the standards until the content of the regulations had been finalised Therefore the following section relates only to the physical acceptance of coins notes tokens and other forms of payment The requirements are partly aimed at minimising the risk of cheating which is also an aim of the manufacturers and operators Cheating can be unfair on other customers and the Commission considers it important to set some minimum standards about the physical acceptance of coins etc TECHNICAL STANDARD PROVISION All categories of gaming machine 4 0 Machine credit and payment requirements 4 1 Coin or token and note acceptors and other methods of inserting value into the machine Acceptors shall meet the following rules a The coin token acceptor shall be designed to prevent the use of cheating methods such as slugging counterfeit coins tokens stringing coin pullback the insertion of foreign objects and other manipulation The gaming device shall be capable of handling rapidly fed coins tokens or piggy backed coins tokens so that the possibility of cheating is minimised The gaming devices shall have suitable detectors for determining the direction and the speed of coin token travel in the receiver If a coin token travelling at too slow of a speed or improper direction is detected the gam
46. ons and in particular the US and Australia we will require that a gaming machine be able to detect when an error has occurred that could potentially affect game play in which case it must be capable of alerting the operator to the situation see also section 1 3 of these standards Gaming device alarm alert requirements 48 The specific conditions that will require the operator to be alerted when a fault occurs are set out in sections 6 1 6 2 and 6 3 of these standards for general conditions printer and note acceptors respectively TECHNICAL STANDARD PROVISION All categories of gaming machine 6 0 Specific error conditions and alert requirements 6 1 General alert conditions The devices shall be capable of detecting displaying and alerting the operator to the error conditions listed below They shall be cleared either by an attendant or upon initiation of a new play sequence and where applicable be communicated to an on line monitoring and control system coin in jam coin out jam hopper empty or timed out hopper runaway or extra coin paid out RAM error low RAM battery for batteries external to the RAM itself or low power source currency in jam program error or authentication mismatch door open including note acceptor reverse coin in coin travelling the wrong way through acceptor reel spin errors including a miss index condition for rotating reels that affect the outcome of the game the specifi
47. os to provide play affording progressive jackpots The standards used here have been extracted from standards which are set in various American states and will form a basis for discussions with the industry and others about the form of progressives that will be appropriate in British casinos TECHNICAL STANDARD PROVISION All categories of gaming machine 9 1 General statement A linked progressive gaming device means a gaming device that has an increasing jackpot based on a proportion of the credits staked and is linked to more than one gaming machine 9 2 Software requirement program storage medium identification Any program medium ROMs EPROMs FLASH ROMs DVD and CD ROM used in a progressive gaming device shall be uniquely identified displaying a program ID number b manufacturer c version number d type and size of medium unless located on the medium as purchased unused from the supplier e aunique signature for medium other than EPROM a hashing algorithm shall be used and f issue installation date 9 3 Progressive displays A display meter s shall be visible to all players who are playing a device which may potentially win the progressive amount if the appropriate combination appears It shall be transparent to the player that he or she is playing a progressive device The progressive meter shall display the current total of the progressive jackpot in the monetary value It is appreciated that the poll
48. r electronics and components housing the communication program storage media may reside outside the gaming device and e all flash memory devices that affect the game play function of the gaming device requirement for categories B2 B3 B4 C and D Any electronic logic components that have the potential to significantly influence the operation of the gaming device shall be sufficiently protected to prevent illegal tampering There is no requirement for a separately locked logic area s provided that access to any data ports excluding communication ports used for normal game operation configuration switches or other critical components is prohibited surrounded by metal cage for instance without the appropriate key There may be more than one such logic area in a gaming device Gambling Commission 6 Electronic component items that are required to be housed in one or more logic areas are a CPUs and other electronic components involved in the operation and calculation of game play eg game controller electronics and components housing the game or system firmware program storage media b electronics involved in the operation and calculation of game result determination c electronics involved in the calculation of game display and components housing display program storage medium passive display equipment exempted d communication controller electronics and components housing the communication program storage media or the
49. s difficult to explain the nature of a gaming machine on a small sign in a meaningful way we believe it is important to do so We recognise that this information will be most relevant to regular players This requirement will be set out in the section of the standards relating to display requirements Game cycle speed 42 43 The Commission and DCMS is concerned with the development of machines which have a very short game duration or where more than one game is played simultaneously We have therefore chosen to define what constitutes a single game see standard 5 6 specify that only one game may be played at once and with the exception of category B2 devices set a minimum speed for each game of no less than 2 5 seconds see standard 5 7 This is similar to the speed of play which is in place internationally We intend to consult the industry further regarding the minimum game speed requirements for category B2 and the associated single game definition As drafted the standards would place some restrictions on the feature of autoplay where a customer starts the machine and the machine plays until some action is taken by the customer to halt play or until all the credits that have been committed to play are exhausted We understand that in its forthcoming consultation on section 240 regulations DCMS intends to consult on alternative measures or restrictions that would apply to autoplay in various types of machines We will amend this se
50. s in an award For games that may have infinite free games there shall be a minimum of fifty 50 games recallable 2 6 Test diagnostic mode all categories of machine If in a test mode any test that incorporates credits entering or leaving the gaming device eg a hopper test shall be completed on resumption of normal operation In addition there shall not be any test mode that increments any of the electronic meters Any credits on the gaming device that were accrued during the test mode shall be cleared before the test mode is exited Test meters are permissible provided the meter indicates as such The main cabinet door of the gaming device may automatically place the gaming device ina service or test mode Test diagnostics mode may also be entered via an appropriate instruction from an attendant during an audit mode access When exiting from test mode the game shall return to the original state it was in when the test mode was entered If the device is in a game test mode the machine shall clearly indicate that it is in a test mode not normal play 2 7 Software verification categories A B1 B2 The device shall have the ability to allow for an independent integrity check of the device s software from an outside source This can be accomplished by the medium being able to be removed and authenticated by a third party device or having an interface port for a third party Gambling Commission 12 device to authenticate the medi
51. serve meter is a second meter or display which is used to hold any value which may be raised at the same time as the live jackpot or which holds any overspill once the live jackpot has reached the maximum level for that category of machine 5 10 Double up random machines only The Double up or Gamble options shall have a theoretical return to the player of that displayed or implied 5 11 Bonus games If agame cycle contains a bonus feature including a game within a game the following rules shall be met a It shall be transparent to the player which game rules apply to the current game state b Ifthe bonus game does not occur randomly the machine shall display to the player sufficient information to indicate the current status towards the triggering of the next bonus game eg if the game requires the player to obtain several events symbols to enter a bonus game the number of events symbols needed to enter the bonus game shall be indicated along with the number of events symbols collected at any point c The game shall not adjust the likelihood of a bonus occurring based on the history of prizes obtained in previous games unless denoted otherwise as in the case of compensated devices d Ifa game s bonus is triggered after accruing a certain number of events symbols or combination of events symbols of a different kind the probability of obtaining like events symbols shall not deteriorate as the game progresses eg for ident
52. ses Gambling Commission 18 Section 5 Game requirements 38 39 This section sets out the requirements on the way in which the outcome of a game is determined the game features that are permitted and the speed of a game We are aware that in order to make machines successful as products and to meet customer demand they must be entertaining and offer certain features to keep the interest of customers We do not wish therefore to restrict game features unless we have concerns that the features are an attempt to bypass stake and prize limits or that the features might breach the licensing objectives In this section we have therefore put in place restrictions such as increasing a stake during a game linking games and bonus games Determining the outcome of the game 40 41 The proposed standards require that categories A B1 and B2 machines determine the result of the game in a random manner without use of compensators or regulators Category B3 B4 C and D machines will be permitted to be random or compensated For both types of machine random and compensated we have set a requirement for the game to be random in terms of the prize distribution For compensated machines we require that the types of games offered are fair non predictable and transparent to players In the interests of fairness and openness customers should be able to identify whether they are playing a random or compensated machine Although it i
53. tent can be finalised We intend to carry out these discussions during June and July 2006 57 We will also be working further on the testing processes that will apply to various categories of machine and will issue a separate consultation on those processes later in the year 58 Itis intended that compliance with the Commission s technical standards will be a requirement from 1 September 2007 Working with DCMS the Commission will consider the arrangements that should apply to machines which are already in the market and whether any aspects of the standards cannot or should not be applied to those machines We would welcome your views on this issue as part of your response Responses to this document and further information 59 For more information on the Commission including on licence conditions and codes of practice please visit www gamblingcommission gov uk 60 The consultation period will close on 15 August Please send your comments to consultation gamblingcommission gov uk or by post to Consultation Coordinator Gambling Commission Victoria Square House Victoria Square Birmingham B2 4BP T 0121 230 6500 F 0121 237 2236 E consultation gamblingcommission gov uk Gambling Commission June 2006 CON06 3 Gambling Commission 37
54. they are interrupted Therefore we will keep this area under review In the meantime we are considering whether the Commission should set a requirement for those machines unable to return to the pre interruption state that the game should be voided and the player s stake returned TECHNICAL STANDARD PROVISION All categories of gaming machine 2 0 Software requirements 2 1 Control program authentication requirements The control program shall utilise an integrity check preferably a secured hashing method such as MD5 or SHA to authenticate that the program and or support files have not been corrupted or altered prior to use loading In the case of a hard disk a write protected drive shall be used SCSI devices are preferred as they provide a write protect jumper which can be sealed However an equally secure alternative method of write protection will be permitted The program residing in the gaming device shall be contained in a storage medium which cannot be altered through use of the circuitry or programming of the gaming device itself If the program is contained in any other medium the following rules shall be met a Authentication is required for all critical game files including but not limited to executables data and operating system files and other files which may affect the game outcome or operation which reside on the medium This authentication shall employ a hashing algorithm which produces a Message Digest
55. tion eg power down the software shall be able to recover to the state it was in immediately prior to the interruption occurring If a gaming device is powered down while in an error condition and power is later restored the gaming device will either detect that the error has been corrected in which case play may continue or if the error remains the error message shall continue to be displayed when and the gaming device shall remain locked This section of the standard for categories A B1 and B2 does not apply to catastrophic failures which may result in game data loss in which case the game should be voided and the player s stake returned for all categories of machine Catastrophic failures covers situations which are unpredictable and outside the control of the licensee such as fire flood electrical overload or discharge This would not apply to situations where poor service or maintenance has resulted or contributed to the fault 31 The Commission recognises that the technology currently adopted for the majority of machine categories B3 B4 C and D limits their ability to restore games following interruptions and that the risk to the player is relatively low so we do not intend to extend this requirement to those categories of machine 32 However as technology improves and the cost of improving the functionality of new machines is reduced all gambling devices should be designed so that they can restore games when
56. transparent to the player b All applicable rules and or the pay tables should be transparent and available to view for each game prior to any commitment to play c It shall at all times be made transparent to the player which game has been selected for play or is being played d Committing to play a game must involve the player in at least two actions Having selected a game the player must be able to return to the main menu without playing e It should not be possible to start a new game before the current play is completed and all relevant meters have been updated including features gamble and other options of the game f The set of games offered to the player for selection or the pay table can be changed only by a secure method agreed with the Commission and or its agent which includes turning on and off games available for play through a suitable interface The rules at section 1 5 of these standards shall govern the RAM clear control requirements for these types of Gambling Commission 24 selections However for games that keep the previous pay table s the pay table just turned off data in memory a RAM clear is not required g No changes to the set of games offered to the player for selection or to the pay table are permitted while there are credits on the player s credit or bank meter or while a game is in progress Gambling Commission 25 Section 6 Error requirements 47 In common with other jurisdicti
57. vice 9 17 Jackpot limits Where limits on jackpots are imposed via the configuration of the progressive gaming device those limits shall be made transparent to the player prior to play 9 18 Time limits A progressive controller may have the ability to limit the time during which a progressive jackpot is available The rules applying to such time limits shall be made transparent to the player prior to play 9 19 Swapping progressive levels When a winning combination may be evaluated as more than one of the available pay table combinations the player must be paid the highest possible progressive value 9 20 Gaming device requirements when any progressive is awarded When a progressive prize has been awarded the gaming device or other appropriate device shall perform the following a an appropriate message shall be displayed b unless the prize is transferred to the player s gaming machine the software and game shall lockup until the award has been paid by the attendant and c all progressive related meters must be updated Gambling Commission 35 9 21 Progressive gaming device metering requirements Progressive wins may be transferred to the player s machine in a manner that is transparent and all applicable metering must be updated accordingly Gambling Commission 36 Next steps 56 As stated in the introduction there are some areas of machine technical standards where further discussion is needed before the con
58. y the game rules that affect game play 1 7 Mechanical devices used for displaying of game outcomes If the game has mechanical or electro mechanical devices which are used for displaying game outcomes the following rules shall be observed a electro mechanically controlled display devices eg reels or wheels shall have a sufficiently closed loop of control so as to enable the software to detect a malfunction or an attempt to interfere with the correct operation of that device This requirement is designed to ensure that if a reel or wheel is not in the position it is supposed to be in an error condition will be generated b mechanical assemblies eg reels or wheels shall have some mechanism that ensures the correct mounting of reels artwork c displays shall be constructed in such a way that winning symbol combinations match up with pay lines or other indicators and Gambling Commission 7 d amechanical assembly shall be so designed that it is not obstructed by any other components 1 8 Multi station games A multi station game is a gaming device that incorporates more than one player terminal and only has one random number generator which is controlled by the master terminal The master terminal containing the games CPU will house the game display which is shared among the player terminals Each station must meet the technical standards outlined throughout this document including machine identification and metering
59. yed on the machine or screen information to enable the player to keep track of their gambling As a minimum the following information shall be available to the player at all times the machine is available for player input a the player s current bank balance where relevant b number of plays available or current credit balance c the current stake d all possible winning outcomes or be available as a menu item or on the help menu e win amounts for each possible winning outcome or be available as a menu or help screen item f the amount won for the last completed game and g the player options selected eg total stake lines played for the last completed game until the next game starts or a new selection is made 8 3 Multi line games Gambling Commission 30 a Each individual line to be played shall be clearly indicated by the gaming device so that the player is in no doubt as to which lines are being staked upon b The winning play line s shall be clearly discernable to the player For example on a video game it may be accomplished by drawing a line over the symbols on the play line s and or the flashing of winning symbols and line selection box Where there are wins on multiple lines each winning play line may be indicated in turn This would not apply to reel based games Gambling Commission 31 Section 9 Progressives in casinos 55 This section sets out the rules for linked machines used in casin

Gaming machine technical standards - consultation

Contents

Download Pdf Manuals

Related Search

Related Contents