UK CMA bonus principles

What the UK CMA bonus principles are

The Competition and Markets Authority enforces general consumer law across the UK economy. In October 2016 it opened an investigation into online gambling (opens in a new tab), working alongside the Gambling Commission, after concerns that bonus terms and practices were unfair to players. The outcome was a set of formal undertakings from named operators and a published list of "dos and don'ts" for the whole sector.

Those standards are what people mean by the CMA bonus principles. They were never a separate statute. Their force today comes from two places: consumer law, which applies to every business dealing with consumers, and the Gambling Commission's position that operators must follow the CMA principles to demonstrate compliance with their licence conditions, specifically condition 7.1 on fair and transparent terms and code provision 5.1.9 on marketing.

When the first undertakings were announced, the Commission told online firms to take immediate action (opens in a new tab) to comply with consumer protection law or face enforcement, and to remove promotions until they could comply. That message set the tone for the bonus terms UK players see now.

CMA bonus principles timeline

The last row matters for context. The CMA's dos and don'ts page (opens in a new tab) notes that it predates the 2024 Act, which now sets the law on unfair commercial practices. The principles haven't been withdrawn, but the legal framework around them has moved on. Our page on the 2018 CMA undertakings lists what each firm agreed.

The CMA bonus principles one by one

Combining the undertakings with the Gambling Commission's guidance written to reflect them gives a clear set of standards. The table sums them up in plain terms.

Each row links back to a specific Commission guidance page, and each traces to the practices the CMA challenged. The sections below explain the ones that come up most often with a casino bonus.

Withdrawing your deposit during bonus play

This is the principle with the biggest everyday effect. The Commission's guidance on restrictions on withdrawing deposits (opens in a new tab) says players must be told they can withdraw their deposit balance at any time, even if the funds are allocated to a bonus, and must not be made to meet wagering requirements first. Wagering can be required only to release bonus winnings.

A worked example with a 50% bonus

Say you deposit £100 and take a 50% match, receiving a £50 bonus with 10x wagering (£500). You play £30 of your own money and lose it, so your cash balance is £70 and your bonus balance is still £50. Under the CMA principles you can withdraw the £70 at any time. Taking it out will typically end the bonus and remove the £50 bonus balance, which is a normal and permitted consequence, but your own £70 can't be held back while you finish wagering.

The guidance doesn't set the order in which cash and bonus funds are used; the offer's terms do, so check them before you start. Our guide on how bonus funds and cash are used explains the common approaches, and what happens to a bonus when you withdraw covers the knock-on effects.

How to withdraw your own money with a bonus active

1. Open your account balance and note the cash balance and bonus balance separately.
2. Read the offer terms on what happens to the bonus if you withdraw before wagering is complete.
3. Request a withdrawal of the cash balance through the cashier, using an eligible method.
4. Expect the bonus and any bonus winnings to be removed if the terms say a withdrawal cancels the offer.
5. If the casino says you must finish wagering before withdrawing your own deposit balance, ask it in writing to point to the term.
6. If it refuses, use its complaints process and keep screenshots of your balances.

Seeing what is your money and what is bonus

Under Commission guidance, deposit and bonus balances must always be displayed separately, clearly and prominently, and must not be shown as a single pot. Its consumer page on free offers and bonuses (opens in a new tab) puts it simply: a company should make clear whether you are playing with your own money or bonus funds, and should be clear about restrictions such as bet size limits.

That split matters for two reasons. It shows what you can withdraw right now, and it shows how much of any total is still locked behind wagering. The answer on how to see your bonus balance explains where most UK casinos show it, and the glossary entry on the bonus balance defines the term.

No moving the goalposts after you opt in

The CMA challenged terms that let operators alter or cancel a promotion once a player had started. The Commission's guidance on the right to vary a promotion (opens in a new tab) now says operators must not use such terms for a customer who has opted in, unless needed to prevent fraud or other unlawful behaviour. Its consumer guidance makes the same point for free bets: details shouldn't change once you have accepted and started playing.

Opting in is also a choice. The guidance requires players to opt in to promotions rather than be enrolled automatically, so you are entitled to decline a bonus and play with cash only. Our answer to should I opt out of a bonus helps you weigh that up.

Confiscation, withdrawal caps and dormant accounts

The later undertakings, from August 2018, dealt with practices that took money from players outside bonus play. Commission guidance written in the same spirit now sets these standards:

• Un-staked deposits: money you deposited but haven't staked remains your property and can't be confiscated under the terms, except where needed to meet a general regulatory obligation.
• Maximum withdrawal limits: no term may cap how much of your deposit balance you can withdraw. The Commission's own prohibited example is "You may withdraw up to £50 per day and up to £500 per week".
• Dormant accounts: funds can't be confiscated for inactivity. A reasonable periodic fee is allowed only once an account is dormant, must be in the terms, and you must be reminded at least 30 days before it is charged.
• ID checks: terms shouldn't let a casino remove funds because you can't verify your identity, and a withdrawal request shouldn't trigger requests for information that could reasonably have been asked earlier.

Our glossary entries on the withdrawal limit and the dormant account explain these terms in more detail.

What the CMA bonus principles don't cover

• They don't set a maximum wagering multiple. The 10x wagering cap came later, from 19 January 2026, through the Gambling Commission's codes.
• They don't guarantee you can keep a bonus if you withdraw early; they protect your deposit balance, not the bonus.
• They don't change the odds or the house edge of any game.
• They don't help on unlicensed sites, which sit outside the Commission's licence conditions and UK complaint routes.

The CMA principles sit alongside the Commission's own requirement that bonus terms must be clear, transparent and fair, and the Advertising Standards Authority's rules on how offers appear in adverts.

Using the CMA principles in a bonus complaint

If a casino holds back your deposit balance, applies a term it didn't show you up front or changes a promotion after you joined it, the CMA principles give you a clear reference point. Raise a complaint with the operator first and quote the relevant Commission guidance. The operator has 8 weeks to resolve it; if it can't, it must offer referral to a free alternative dispute resolution provider such as IBAS. Our guide to complaining about a bonus covers the wording to use.

None of these protections make gambling a way to make money. Bonuses come with conditions, and the house edge applies to every bet. If you find yourself depositing to chase a bonus or a loss, take a break: the National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133, and our safer gambling page lists GAMSTOP, NHS clinics and other support.

The CMA principles and our partner offers

Ladbrokes was one of the three firms that gave the CMA undertakings on 1 February 2018. Its current casino offer, like Coral's and PlayOJO's, pays free spin winnings with no wagering, which keeps the gap between bonus and cash small. All offers are for adults aged 18 or over, need a deposit, and full terms apply.

• Coral: new players who deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10 or more on slots get 100 free spins at 10p on selected games. Accept within 48 hours, use within 7 days, no wagering on spin winnings. Deposits by Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid card or certain debit cards are excluded.
• Ladbrokes: new customers who deposit and spend £10 or more on slots get 50 free spins a day for 10 days, up to 500 at 10p, on selected games with no wagering. Claim before 23:59 each day; spins last 7 days. Excluded deposit methods: prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers.
• PlayOJO: a first deposit of £10 or more brings 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each, with winnings paid in cash and no wagering. New UK customers only, excluding Northern Ireland; the offer can't be combined with others.

Coral and Ladbrokes share an operator, LC International Limited, so read the terms before opening new accounts at both. For other offers see our casino bonuses hub, and for the rest of the regulatory picture, the full UK casino bonus rules section.

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.