What happens if a casino changes bonus terms?

What happens if a casino changes bonus terms after you opt in?

The promotion you opted into should stay as it was. Gambling Commission guidance on the right to vary a promotion (opens in a new tab) says operators must not use terms that let them vary or withdraw a promotion for a customer who has opted in, unless that is needed to prevent fraud or similar unlawful behaviour.

So if a casino tries to cut your spins, raise your wagering or shorten your deadline after you have signed up, it is on weak ground. If it changes the offer for people who haven’t opted in yet, that is normally allowed. The line between the two is the moment you opt in.

Changes before and after you opt in

The Commission’s player guide on free offers and bonuses (opens in a new tab) adds that companies should not change the details of a free bet once you have accepted and started playing. Our promotion and incentive entries define the terms used here.

UK rules that stop casinos changing bonus terms mid-way

Several rules work together:

• Licence condition 7.1.1. The Commission’s fair and transparent terms condition (opens in a new tab) says changes to terms must meet consumer-law fairness and transparency standards, and customers must be told about material changes before they take effect.
• Code 5.1.9. Each incentive’s terms must be available for the full duration of the promotion, so the version you accepted can’t quietly disappear.
• CMA undertakings. In March 2018 BGO undertook to the Competition and Markets Authority not to make unfair changes after opt-in, part of the CMA’s online gambling case (opens in a new tab). See our CMA bonus principles page.
• Consumer Rights Act 2015. An unfair term isn’t binding on you, and an ambiguous one is read in your favour. More in unfair terms under the Consumer Rights Act.

Taken together, a term that says ‘we may amend or cancel this promotion at any time’ is the kind of wording the guidance warns against. Our guide on how to spot unfair bonus terms lists similar red flags.

Changes a casino is allowed to make

Not every change is a problem. These are generally legitimate:

• Ending an offer for new customers. Coral’s current welcome spins run from 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027; Ladbrokes’ offer runs from 14 November 2025 until further notice. When an offer closes, people who already opted in keep the terms they accepted.
• Stopping fraud. The guidance allows variation where needed to prevent fraud or similar unlawful behaviour, such as multi-accounting.
• Changes forced by new rules. When the 10x wagering cap and mixed-product ban arrived on 19 January 2026, offers had to comply from that date.
• Stopping bonuses for customers showing strong signs of harm. Operators must stop marketing and new bonus take-up in those cases.

The last point is a safety rule, not a commercial choice, and our page on bonuses and harm indicators explains it.

What the 2026 rules say about time-based bonuses

When the Commission rewrote its incentives code for 19 January 2026, it deleted an older clause saying a bonus’s value must not depend on gambling for a pre-determined length of time or frequency. It kept the rule that a casino must not alter or increase an incentive because the qualifying spend was reached in a shorter time than the whole offer period. The time-based incentive rules page has the background.

This is different from an offer delivered in stages. Ladbrokes’ 50 spins a day for 10 days is a fixed schedule set out in advance; the value of each day’s batch doesn’t change with your play.

Worked example: what a mid-run change would cost you

To show why the rule matters, take a hypothetical case. You opt into a daily-spins offer worth 50 spins at 10p a day for 10 days, and on day 5 the casino tries to cut your remaining days to 20 spins a day. This is an illustration, not something any partner has done.

Under the guidance, a change like this for someone who has already opted in shouldn’t happen unless it is needed to prevent fraud. If it did, you would have a clear basis to complain and to ask for the original terms to be honoured. Spin values here are stake values; what spins actually return depends on the slot’s RTP and luck.

How to keep proof of the terms you accepted

1. Before opting in, open the full offer terms, which must be one click away, and save a copy.
2. Note the date, the offer name and any version number or ‘last updated’ line.
3. Screenshot the significant terms shown next to the headline offer.
4. Keep the opt-in confirmation message or email.
5. If you are told terms changed, ask support which version applied on your opt-in date.

What to do if a casino changes bonus terms against you

Start with the casino’s complaints procedure, quoting the terms you accepted and the guidance on varying promotions. The casino has 8 weeks to resolve a complaint. After that, or after a final response you don’t accept, you can take it to the alternative dispute resolution provider the casino names. IBAS explains how to raise a dispute (opens in a new tab), and registered companies agree to be bound by its decisions up to £10,000.

You can also report the casino to the Gambling Commission, which doesn’t settle individual disputes but uses reports to spot breaches. Our guides on how to complain about a bonus and how to report an unfair bonus cover each step.

Dated rule changes that reshaped UK bonus terms

For every date in one place, see the bonus rules timeline and our summary of casino bonus changes in 2026.

Partner offers and their published end dates

Offer terms below were last checked on 5 October 2026. Coral: 18+, new players, running 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027; deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10+ on slots for 100 free spins at 10p, accept within 48 hours, valid 7 days, no wagering on winnings. Ladbrokes: 18+, new customers, from 14 November 2025 until further notice; deposit and spend £10+ on slots for 50 free spins a day for 10 days (max 500), 10p each, claim before 23:59 daily, valid 7 days, no wagering.

PlayOJO: 18+, new UK customers excluding Northern Ireland, £10 minimum first deposit for 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p, winnings paid in cash, not combinable with other offers. Terms apply to all three; check the current version before opting in. More answers sit in our casino bonus questions hub.

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.