Sessional Information on Gaming Machines Explained

Sessional information is the running account of a gaming-machine session: how long a person has been playing and how much money they have won or lost. The idea sounds basic, but it changes what the machine is required to show while play is happening rather than leaving the player to reconstruct the session afterwards.

The UK Gambling Commission announced on 30 September 2026 that new Category B gaming machines will need improved access to gambling-management tools and sessional information. The Commission says the bulk of the changes will come into effect in June 2027, with a staged implementation rather than an instant replacement of every machine already on a floor.

What the information is supposed to show

The core display is simple: time played, and money won or lost during the session. The Commission’s announcement also refers to management tools, so the wider package is about helping consumers understand and manage gambling instead of allowing the machine to become a sequence of disconnected results.

That is different from a promise that the machine will tell a player whether the next spin is wise. Sessional information describes what has happened. It does not predict the next outcome, change the odds, or turn a loss into a reason to continue. It is a mirror, not a strategy.

TopGamb’s explainer on gaming-machine categories gives the legal background, while our guides to adult gaming centres, loss limits, progressive jackpot slots and self-exclusion show where the same player-control questions appear in other products.

Why showing time and money matters

Machine play can feel shorter than it is because the decisions are small and repetitive. A player may remember individual wins, a near miss or the amount inserted at the start while losing track of the total time and net result. A visible session summary gives those facts a place on the screen before the next decision.

The value is greatest when the information is clear, timely and hard to ignore. A tiny figure hidden in a menu is technically present but practically weak. The Commission’s package is designed alongside management tools and interaction duties for licensees, which suggests that information is meant to support action: a pause, a conversation, a limit or a decision to leave.

That does not mean staff should treat every player as a problem gambler. Sessional information can be useful for ordinary budgeting as well as intervention. A player who planned a short visit can see when the session has run long. A player who brought a fixed amount can notice when losses have moved beyond the plan. The information is useful without becoming a diagnosis.

What the new rules do not cover

The changes are aimed at new Category B gaming machines. The Commission says existing machines are exempt from the new requirements because the technical changes and cost would not necessarily deliver proportionate consumer benefits. That means players may see different information and controls on different machines during the transition.

The rules also do not guarantee that gambling becomes low-risk. Sessional information cannot prevent a person from ignoring a loss, raising the stake or moving to another machine. It does not replace self-exclusion, a personal budget, staff support or treatment. It simply makes an important part of the session harder to hide from yourself.

The same caution applies to the design changes. The Commission says awards below the stake should not be celebrated and features that reduce the time until a result is known will be prohibited on the relevant new machines. Those changes may reduce some misleading or hurried cues, but they cannot remove the house edge or make a losing session affordable.

A practical way to use the display

Before starting, set the money and time you are prepared to spend. During play, check the session information at a fixed point rather than only when the machine prompts you. If the time or loss has reached the boundary, stop without trying to negotiate with the number. A limit that moves after a loss is not a limit.

If you find yourself hiding the session, borrowing to continue, moving between machines to escape the result or treating a win as permission to play indefinitely, use a stronger break. Speak with staff about available tools, take a time-out or self-exclude, and use support such as GamCare. The display is there to help you notice the moment; you still have to act on it.

Short definition

Gaming-machine sessional information is a running view of how long a person has played and how much they have won or lost in that session. In the UK’s new Category B rules, it is part of a broader package of player-management and game-design changes planned in stages, with the bulk due in June 2027.

Reader questions

Will every existing gaming machine show the new information?

No. The Gambling Commission says existing machines are exempt from the new requirements. The changes mainly apply to new Category B machines as the staged implementation begins.

Does sessional information change the odds?

No. It shows time and money information; it does not change the machine’s mathematics or predict the next result.

When do the main changes arrive?

The Gambling Commission says the bulk of the new requirements will come into effect in June 2027, following a staged implementation.

Further reading

• UK Gambling Commission: New machine rules to support consumers and operators to reduce harm
• UK Gambling Commission: New machine rules
• UK Government: High stakes gambling reform for the digital age
• GamCare: Gambling support