Can a casino close my account for using bonuses?

Can a casino close my account for using bonuses? The direct answer

A casino is a business, and UK rules don't oblige it to keep any particular customer. It can choose to stop trading with you, as long as it treats your money fairly when it does. What the rules don't allow is using vague bonus terms to take money back from people who followed the conditions as written.

That distinction matters. There are three quite different things that people describe as ‘my account was closed for using bonuses’: a full closure, a restriction on promotions only, and a forfeiture of winnings for a term breach. Each has its own rules, explained below. For more account questions, see the casino bonus questions hub.

Account closure, bonus restriction and forfeiture compared

A promotions-only restriction is the most common. Our bonus restriction and bonus ban glossary entries explain the wording you may see, and why is my account restricted? covers non-bonus reasons too.

What UK rules say about bonus-related account closures

The Gambling Commission's guidance on promotional play is clear on several points. Terms must clearly specify all prohibited types or patterns of play. Operators must not ban a form of play that wasn't set out to players in advance. Where winnings are lost, the customer must get a full explanation of the breach. And operators must not reserve sole discretion to decide when play breaches the terms.

The Commission's page on terms giving licensees undue discretion (opens in a new tab) adds that wording like ‘we may’ or ‘we reserve the right’ to void winnings for irregular play should be avoided, because customers are entitled to know what action will follow. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, an unfair term isn't binding on you. Our pages on unfair terms under the Consumer Rights Act and bonus terms must be clear go into more detail.

Enforcement shows the Commission takes this seriously. In July 2025 it fined Taichi Tech Limited £170,000, partly for a term that let it close accounts or forfeit winnings at its discretion; the Commission's announcement of the Taichi Tech fine (opens in a new tab) sets out the failings.

Reasons a casino can close an account linked to bonuses

These are the situations where a closure or forfeiture is most likely to stand, provided the terms set them out clearly:

• More than one account per person, or several people claiming the same welcome offer from one household where the terms limit it.
• Using someone else's identity or payment card, including a family member's.
• Breaking a stated bonus condition, for example exceeding a published maximum bet, such as Casumo's £5 per bet with an active bonus.
• Collusion or organised claiming with other players, where the terms prohibit it.
• Self-exclusion: GAMSTOP registration means the operator must close the account and return funds.
• Strong indicators of harm, which require the casino to stop new bonus take-up and may lead to wider restrictions.

The common thread is that each one is a defined condition, not a feeling that a customer is ‘too good at bonuses’. Our page on what counts as irregular play looks at how these terms are typically worded.

Can I be restricted just for only playing with bonuses?

This is where the honest answer is ‘sometimes, yes, but differently’. A casino can decide not to send further promotions to a customer who only ever takes offers, because offering promotions is a commercial choice, not an entitlement. That's a restriction on future offers, not a penalty on past play.

What it shouldn't do is retrospectively remove winnings from offers that were claimed and played within the stated terms. The Commission's guidance on the right to vary a promotion (opens in a new tab) says operators must not change or withdraw a promotion for someone who has already opted in, except where needed to prevent fraud or similar unlawful behaviour. The bonus hunter page discusses this kind of customer in more depth, and can bonus terms change after I opt in? covers mid-offer changes.

What happens to my balance if the account is closed?

Your deposit is treated very differently from bonus funds. The Commission's guidance says un-staked deposits remain the customer's property and terms shouldn't allow confiscation of them, except where needed to meet a general regulatory obligation. Separately, you must be able to withdraw your own deposit balance at any time, even with a bonus active.

A worked example: you deposit £20 and receive a £10 bonus at 10x wagering (£100 to play through). Before you place a bet, the casino closes the account for a reason unrelated to you. The £20 deposit should come back. The £10 bonus, which was never yours to withdraw, may be removed. If you'd already won £15 from your deposit balance, the guidance on withdrawing deposit winnings suggests those winnings should also be payable. See can I withdraw my deposit with a bonus active? and the bonus withdrawal rules page.

What to do if your account is closed over a bonus

1. Ask the casino in writing which specific term it says you broke and how.
2. Request a breakdown of your balance: deposits, bonus funds and any winnings.
3. Withdraw any deposit balance you're entitled to, using the original payment method.
4. Compare the reason given with the terms as they stood when you opted in; keep screenshots.
5. If you disagree, make a formal complaint under the casino's published procedure.
6. After eight weeks, or once you receive a final response, take it to the casino's ADR provider, which is free.

The complaints and ADR rules page explains deadlines, and how to complain about a bonus shows what to include. Bonus or promotional terms made up 8.2% of disputes handled by IBAS in 2019–20, according to Commission data, so you won't be the first.

How to use casino bonuses without risking your account

There's no trick to this, only reading the terms before you play. The clauses that most often lead to forfeiture are the ones people skim.

Our casino bonus terms explained guide reads a full set of terms clause by clause, and how to spot unfair bonus terms highlights the wording regulators object to.

When a closure is about safer gambling, not bonuses

Sometimes the reason for a restriction isn't the bonus at all. Operators must act on signs of harm such as rising spend or long sessions, and since February 2023 that has included stopping marketing and new bonuses for customers with strong indicators. If that's what has happened, it may be worth taking the hint seriously.

The National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133, around the clock. GAMSTOP blocks all UK-licensed sites at once, and our responsible gambling page lists other support, including NHS clinics.

Partner offers with terms you can read in full

The simplest way to avoid a bonus dispute is to pick an offer whose conditions you understand. All three below are 18+, new customers only, full terms apply.

Coral gives 100 free spins at 10p (£10 of spins) once you've deposited and bet £10 on slots; accept them within 48 hours, use within 7 days, and keep winnings with no wagering. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't count. See the Coral bonus terms.

Ladbrokes pays 50 free spins a day for 10 days after a £10 slots spend, up to 500 at 10p (£50 of spins); claim each day before 23:59, use within 7 days, no wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers are excluded. As Coral and Ladbrokes share an operator, check the terms before opening both.

PlayOJO offers 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p (£8 of spins) on a first deposit of £10 or more, winnings in cash with no wagering, not combinable with other offers and only via the designated link; Northern Ireland is excluded. The PlayOJO bonus terms page has the full list.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: set a budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.