The Betting and Gaming Act 1960 was the most substantive change to gambling regulation since then. It had been illegal in the UK to organise and manage the playing of games of chance since the Gaming Act of 1845. The Lords’ decision also looked like the back door to banning every other game with a house edge, such as blackjack and baccarat. Without an edge on a game the operator would expect only to break even, and that’s before accounting for running costs. The British edge on roulette wheels was a small one, such that someone staking £10 on a spin would expect statistically to lose an average of 27 pence.
