UK bonus rules timeline

The UK bonus rules timeline at a glance

Casino bonus regulation in Great Britain rests on the Gambling Act 2005, but most of the rules you meet in an offer’s terms are much newer. The table gives the full UK bonus rules timeline; the sections after it group the changes into five phases. Each rule has its own page in our UK casino bonus rules hub.

2016–2019: the CMA and fair bonus terms

Before 2018, wagering of 50x or more and terms that locked a player’s own deposit behind a bonus were common. The CMA’s online gambling case (opens in a new tab) changed that. Its undertakings of 1 February 2018 committed operators to clearer, fairer bonus terms and to let players withdraw their own money during bonus play; later undertakings removed maximum withdrawal limits and unfair confiscation. Our CMA undertakings of 2018 page lists them.

Advertising rules tightened at the same time. On 14 February 2018 CAP published guidance on free bets and bonuses (opens in a new tab), produced with the Commission, which said ads must state significant conditions such as wagering and deposit requirements. It introduced no new rules, but the ASA was already applying the same test: in 2016 it ruled against a casino email that left 60x wagering to the landing page. See our round-up of ASA rulings on casino bonuses.

2019–2021: verification, credit cards and game design

Three entries on the UK bonus rules timeline arrived in quick succession and altered how a welcome offer starts. From 7 May 2019, age verification before play meant no bonus could be used until ID checks were done. From 31 March 2020, every online operator had to join GAMSTOP. From 14 April 2020, the credit card ban stopped bonus deposits on credit, including through e-wallets loaded by credit card.

On 31 October 2020 the Commission’s VIP scheme rules required affordability and harm checks before high-value incentives. A year later, on 31 October 2021, slot game design rules banned autoplay and turbo spins and set a 2.5-second minimum spin, while the same package banned reverse withdrawals. Bonus wagering on slots has run at that pace ever since.

2022–2023: harm indicators and the white paper

From 1 October 2022, the CAP Code’s ‘strong appeal’ test replaced the older ‘particular appeal’ test for under-18s, which made bonus ads using youth-oriented imagery harder to defend. From 12 February 2023, operators have had to stop marketing and new bonus take-up for customers showing strong signs of harm; our bonuses and harm indicators page covers it.

On 27 April 2023 the government’s gambling white paper (opens in a new tab), ‘High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age’, promised ‘fair limits on re-wagering requirements’. The Commission consulted on the detail from 29 November 2023 to 21 February 2024. The gambling white paper page tracks what has and hasn’t been implemented.

2024–2025: checks, stake limits and consent

Financial vulnerability checks began on 30 August 2024 at £500 of net deposits in 30 days and dropped to £150 on 28 February 2025; see financial vulnerability checks. Credit-file risk assessments were piloted but are not live.

Online slot stake limits arrived on 9 April 2025 (£5 per spin for 25+) and 21 May 2025 (£2 for 18–24s). A bonus max-bet term, such as Casumo’s £5 per bet with an active bonus, now sits on top of the legal limit, so a 22-year-old is held to £2 regardless. From 1 May 2025, marketing consent rules required separate opt-ins by product and channel, and from 31 October 2025 the financial limit prompt put a limit-setting step before every first deposit.

19 January 2026: the 10x cap and the mixed-product ban

The Commission announced both rules on 26 March 2025 in ‘Gambling promotions to be safer and simpler’ (opens in a new tab). The start date moved from 19 December 2025 to 19 January 2026. Under the rewritten SR code 5.1.1 (opens in a new tab), wagering can’t require bonus funds to be played through more than 10 times, and an incentive can’t mix gambling products such as betting and casino.

The averages are long-run expectations; any single session can end far above or below them. Our 10x wagering cap and mixed-product promotion ban pages cover each rule in full, and the comparison of bonus terms in 2025 and 2026 shows the before-and-after shape of real offers.

What did not change in 2026: time-based offers

Some versions of the UK bonus rules timeline describe a 2026 ban on time-based incentives. That isn’t what happened. According to the Commission’s notes on the rewritten code (opens in a new tab), the old clause saying a benefit must not depend on gambling for a set length of time or at a set frequency was deleted, and a proposed replacement about ‘excessive intensity of gambling’ was dropped. What remains, as clause 3(c), carries over an existing rule: an operator must not alter or increase an incentive because you reach the qualifying spend faster than the full offer period.

So a daily free spins offer is still allowed, but an offer can’t grow because you hit its spend target early. Our page on time-based incentive rules explains the history in more depth.

What comes next on the UK bonus rules timeline

• Financial risk assessments. The pilot ended and the Commission reported in April 2026 that 97% of assessed customers saw no friction; as of October 2026, no decision to implement had been made.
• Dispute resolution. The licence code is being amended so that ADR refers to providers accredited under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, depending on commencement.
• Remote betting duty. A new 25% General Betting Duty rate for remote bets is due from 1 April 2027, outside the casino product but relevant to operators that run both.

We review this UK bonus rules timeline when the Commission, CAP or government announces a change. The older story, from before the CMA case, is in our UK bonus history guide.

Using the UK bonus rules timeline to read bonus terms

1. Check the date on any article or forum post about an offer; anything before 19 January 2026 may describe wagering above 10x.
2. Confirm the wagering multiple in the current terms is 10x or lower, and that it applies to the bonus.
3. Check the offer covers only one product: a casino offer can’t require a sports bet.
4. Compare the max-bet term with your legal slot stake limit (£2 or £5) and follow the lower.
5. Make sure your deposit method qualifies, since some e-wallets and prepaid cards are excluded.

Our partner offers under the 2026 rules

All five partners publish terms that fit the current rules. The three closest to this page’s theme are the no-wagering spin offers, because they show how simple an offer becomes once wagering is taken out. All are 18+ and terms apply.

• Coral: deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10 on slots for 100 free spins at 10p (£10 of spins), on selected games, accepted within 48 hours and valid 7 days, with no wagering on winnings. Offer runs 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027. Coral bonus terms.
• Ladbrokes: deposit and spend £10 on slots for 50 free spins a day for 10 days, up to 500 at 10p (up to £50 of spins), claimed by 23:59 each day, valid 7 days, no wagering. Ladbrokes bonus terms.
• PlayOJO: first deposit of £10 or more for 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p (£8 of spins), new UK customers excluding Northern Ireland, winnings paid in cash. PlayOJO bonus terms.

Casumo (50% up to £100, 10x within 7 days) and 10bet (100% up to £25, 10x on slots within 3 days) both sit at the new cap. Coral and Ladbrokes are run by the same company, LC International Limited, so read the terms before claiming both.

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.