Who regulates casino bonuses?

Who regulates casino bonuses: the short answer

No single body covers everything about a bonus. The Gambling Commission decides what a licensed casino may offer and how, the advertising regulator decides how the offer may be promoted, and consumer law decides whether the terms are fair enough to be enforced against you. Understanding the split tells you who to turn to when something looks wrong.

The Gambling Commission: the main casino bonus regulator

Any business offering remote gambling to people in Great Britain needs a Gambling Commission licence, wherever the company is based. The Commission’s guide to operating licences (opens in a new tab) sets out who needs one. Each licence comes with the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), and that is where the bonus rules live.

The central bonus rule is social responsibility code 5.1.1 (opens in a new tab). From 19 January 2026 it caps wagering at 10 times the bonus, bans incentives that mix gambling products, and requires incentive terms to be clear, transparent, fair and readily accessible. Code 5.1.9 requires significant conditions to be shown prominently at the point of sale, and licence condition 7.1.1 ties operators to consumer law on fair and transparent terms. Our page on licence conditions (LCCP) walks through the full set.

Rules that shape a bonus indirectly

• Stake limits: £5 per online slot spin for players aged 25 and over (from 9 April 2025) and £2 for 18–24s (from 21 May 2025), on top of any bonus max-bet rule. See online slot stake limits.
• Harm rules: marketing and new bonus take-up must stop for customers with strong signs of harm (since 12 February 2023). See bonuses and harm indicators.
• Marketing consent: opt-in per product and channel since 1 May 2025.
• Verification: age and identity checks before any play, including with a bonus, since 7 May 2019.

The ASA and CAP: who regulates bonus advertising

The Advertising Standards Authority enforces the CAP Code, written by the Committee of Advertising Practice. Gambling promotions must follow section 16 (gambling) and section 8 (promotional marketing). Rule 8.17 requires significant conditions, such as deposit, wagering, time limits and eligibility, to be stated clearly where leaving them out would mislead. The Commission’s licence conditions require casinos to follow these advertising codes, so an ASA breach can also become a licensing matter.

CAP’s guidance on free bets and bonuses (opens in a new tab) says an offer should not be called free if the customer must risk their own money to qualify, unless that commitment is made clear. That is why a compliant advert reads “bet £10, get 100 free spins” rather than just “100 free spins”. The ASA also rules on affiliate websites like this one. Our explainer on the word free in gambling ads covers the detail.

The CMA and consumer law on bonus terms

The Competition and Markets Authority enforces consumer protection law. Its online gambling investigation (opens in a new tab) ran from 21 October 2016 to 29 April 2019 and produced formal undertakings from several operators, starting on 1 February 2018. The core outcomes were that players must be able to withdraw their own deposited money during bonus play, significant terms must be shown up front, and terms must not allow unfair forfeiture or changes after opt-in.

The Commission says operators must follow the CMA’s principles to show they meet their licence conditions, so the two regulators reinforce each other. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 added a newer layer: its unfair commercial practices provisions took effect on 6 April 2025, and the Commission’s licence conditions now refer to them directly. Our pages on CMA bonus principles and the 2018 CMA undertakings give the case history.

Courts and ADR: who decides an individual bonus dispute

Regulators set the rules but do not rule on your account. When a bonus dispute cannot be settled with the casino, an approved alternative dispute resolution provider, such as IBAS, decides it; registered companies agree to be bound by IBAS decisions up to £10,000. Courts remain available too. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a term that is unfair is not binding on you, which our page on whether bonus terms are legally binding explains.

If you need to use these routes, our guide on where to complain about a casino sets out the order: casino first, then ADR after 8 weeks or a final response.

Government’s role: policy, law and tax

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport sets gambling policy. Its April 2023 white paper, High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, led to the slot stake limits, the statutory levy and the 10x wagering cap. HM Revenue and Customs collects Remote Gaming Duty from operators, which rose from 21% to 40% of profits on 1 April 2026; players do not pay tax on gambling winnings. Neither body regulates individual bonus terms. Our pages on the Gambling Act 2005 and remote gaming duty cover their parts.

How UK casino bonus regulation has changed

Our full bonus rules timeline adds the stake limit and design-rule dates.

One bonus, three regulators: a worked example

Take a 50% deposit match up to £100 with 10x wagering and a £5 maximum bet. The Gambling Commission’s cap means the wagering can be no more than 10 × £100 = £1,000. At a typical slot house edge of about 4%, that play costs around £40 on average, though any session can differ widely. The ASA requires the advert to show the deposit, the 10x wagering and the 7-day limit with the headline. The CMA principles and the Consumer Rights Act mean the £5 maximum bet must be clear in advance and applied as written, and your own deposit must stay withdrawable.

Before January 2026 the same bonus could legally have carried 35x or 50x wagering. Our comparison of 10x vs 35x wagering shows how much difference the cap makes.

How to check a casino bonus is properly regulated

1. Find the licence holder and account number in the casino’s footer or terms.
2. Search that name or number on the Gambling Commission public register and confirm the remote casino licence is active.
3. Check the offer shows its significant terms next to the headline.
4. Confirm the wagering is 10x the bonus or less, or that there is none.
5. Check the terms are one click from the offer and stay available for the whole promotion.
6. Note the casino’s complaints procedure and named ADR provider before you deposit.

Our guide on how to check a casino licence has screenshots of what a valid register entry shows.

Who regulates casino bonuses in Northern Ireland?

Gambling Commission rules apply to Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own law, the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985, overseen by the Department for Communities, and has no full framework for online gambling. Some offers exclude Northern Ireland altogether; PlayOJO’s welcome offer is one. See bonuses in Northern Ireland before relying on UK-style protections.

Regulated bonuses from our partners

Every offer we list comes from a casino licensed by the Gambling Commission. Coral and Ladbrokes operate under LC International Limited (account 54743) and PlayOJO under Skill On Net Limited (39326). Their spins offers already sit well inside the 10x cap because winnings carry no wagering at all.

Coral: deposit and bet £10 on slots for 100 free spins at 10p on selected games, accepted within 48 hours and used within 7 days. Ladbrokes: deposit and spend £10 on slots for 50 free spins a day over 10 days, up to 500 at 10p, each batch claimed before 23:59. PlayOJO: 80 free spins at 10p on Big Bass Bonanza with a £10+ first deposit, winnings paid in cash, excluding Northern Ireland. All are 18+, new customers only, terms apply, and some payment methods do not qualify at Coral and Ladbrokes. Regulation makes the terms fairer; it does not change the house edge. Browse more answers on our 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.