UK customer funds protection

What UK customer funds protection rules say

Money sitting in your casino account isn't held by a bank. It's held by the gambling business, and if that business goes bust you could become just another creditor. The Gambling Commission doesn't force operators to ring-fence that money. What it does require, through section 4 of the licence conditions, protection of customer funds (opens in a new tab), is honesty about it.

Under condition 4.2.1, disclosure to customers (opens in a new tab), a licensee must state in its terms which protection rating its customer funds have, what level that means and how it's achieved. You must acknowledge that information before your first deposit is used. It's one of the conditions in the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice that every operator licensed in Great Britain must meet, which makes it part of the wider set of UK casino bonus rules protecting your account.

So the rule is about transparency rather than a guarantee. A casino can lawfully choose 'not protected', as long as it tells you clearly and reminds you.

The three customer funds protection ratings

The Commission's guide to what happens to your money if a gambling business goes bust (opens in a new tab) sets out three levels.

The Commission adds a caution: even segregation doesn't automatically mean you'll get everything back. Its pages on medium protection (opens in a new tab) and money that is not protected (opens in a new tab) explain the differences in more detail.

What counts as customer funds, and where bonuses fit

The Commission describes customer funds as including cleared deposits, unpaid winnings and crystallised loyalty bonuses, meaning loyalty rewards that have turned into money you're entitled to. That list matters for bonus players, because it tells you which parts of a typical balance the protection rating is talking about.

• Your cleared deposit. Covered by the rating. It also stays your property during bonus play: guidance says you can withdraw your deposit balance without meeting wagering, and un-staked deposits can't be confiscated.
• Winnings already paid to your cash balance. Covered. No-wagering spin winnings, such as those from Coral's, Ladbrokes' or PlayOJO's offers, are paid as cash, so they fall here once credited.
• A bonus still being wagered. The Commission's list doesn't mention bonus funds that haven't converted to cash. Don't assume a bonus balance mid-wagering would be treated as yours in an insolvency.
• Loyalty rewards. Covered only once crystallised, for example cash-back that has been paid out rather than points still building.

This is our reading of the Commission's published definition. Any insolvency would be handled under the casino's terms and insolvency law, so the exact outcome would depend on the case.

How casinos must tell you: acknowledgement and six-monthly reminders

There are two moments when the rule touches you directly. The first comes at sign-up: before your first deposit is used, you'll see the rating (often a short paragraph in the terms or a pop-up during registration) and have to tick to confirm you've read it.

The second is newer. Since 31 October 2025, operators rated 'not protected' must remind customers of that at least every six months, stating how much money they hold, and the customer has to acknowledge the reminder. If you've had one, it's a nudge to ask yourself whether you need to keep that balance on the site at all.

Customer funds protection in pounds: three worked examples

Imagine an account holding a £100 cleared deposit, £30 of winnings from no-wagering free spins already in the cash balance, and a £50 deposit-match bonus halfway through 10x wagering. Here is how the three ratings would treat it in broad terms if the operator failed.

The lesson isn't that bonuses are risky in themselves; it's that a balance sitting idle on any site carries some exposure. Withdrawing winnings you want to keep removes it. Our guide on how no-wagering spins pay out explains when spin winnings land as cash, and how bonus funds and cash are used covers which balance your bets come from.

How to find a casino's customer funds protection rating

1. Open the casino's terms and conditions; the rating is usually in a section headed 'protection of customer funds' or similar.
2. Note which of the three levels it states and how it says that level is achieved (for example a trust account or insurance).
3. Check the casino is licensed by searching the Gambling Commission's public register for its name or account number.
4. Look at the sign-up page: you should be asked to acknowledge the rating before your first deposit is used.
5. If you can't find it, ask customer support in writing; the casino is required to tell you.

Our guide on how to check a casino licence walks through the register search, and the UKGC licence number entry explains what the account number tells you.

Why the Gambling Commission requires funds disclosure

Customer funds rules flow from the fair and open licensing objective in the Gambling Act 2005. Online accounts mean players often leave money with an operator between sessions, sometimes for months. Without a disclosure rule, most people would assume their balance was as safe as a bank deposit. It isn't, and the Commission's approach is to make that clear at the moment of signing up rather than after something goes wrong.

The six-monthly reminder added in 2025 reflects the same idea. A one-off tick box at registration is easy to forget, so customers of unprotected operators now get a recurring prompt that includes the actual amount at stake.

What customer funds protection doesn't do

• It isn't a compensation scheme. There's no government-backed scheme that pays out gambling balances the way bank deposits are protected.
• It doesn't protect against losses from play. The rating covers what happens if the company fails, not money lost on games, where the house edge applies.
• It doesn't cover unlicensed sites. An operator without a Commission licence has no duty to disclose anything. See offshore casino bonus risks.
• It doesn't stop a casino choosing 'not protected'. That's allowed if disclosed.
• It doesn't speed up withdrawals. Payout times are set by each operator; our withdrawal rules page covers what the law does say about withdrawing.

Customer funds protection: key dates

For the wider sequence of bonus and account rules, see the bonus rules timeline.

Our partners and customer funds protection

We haven't verified the current protection rating each of our five partners chooses, so we won't state one here. All five are licensed by the Gambling Commission (Coral and Ladbrokes through LC International Limited, PlayOJO through Skill On Net Limited, Casumo through Recro Limited and 10bet through Blue Star Planet Limited), which means each must show you its rating in its terms and get your acknowledgement before your first deposit is used. Check the terms on the casino's site before you deposit.

Two partner-specific facts are relevant to how long money sits in an account. Coral and Ladbrokes say they don't charge withdrawal fees, and PlayOJO's help pages say you can withdraw as little as you like. Casumo charges £3 on withdrawals below £10, so check the cashier for current fees.

Customer funds protection and our partner offers

No-wagering spin offers are the ones that turn into cash fastest, which means less time with money in a bonus state. Coral's offer comes closest to that ideal: 18+, new players, deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10 or more on slots to get 100 free spins at 10p each on selected games, accepted within 48 hours and valid for 7 days, with no wagering on winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify.

Ladbrokes gives new customers aged 18+ who deposit and spend £10 on slots 50 free spins a day for 10 days, up to 500 at 10p each, with no wagering; each batch must be claimed by 23:59 and used within 7 days, and prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits don't qualify. PlayOJO gives new UK customers, not Northern Ireland, 80 spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each after a first deposit of £10 or more, with winnings paid in cash. Terms apply to every offer, and any balance you plan to keep is better withdrawn than left on site. Compare all of them on our free spins no wagering page.

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.