"Free" in UK gambling ads

The UK rule on "free" in gambling ads

Two short rules in the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, known as the CAP Code, set the baseline. Rule 3.23 (opens in a new tab) says marketing must not describe a product as "free", "gratis", "without charge" or similar if the consumer has to pay anything other than the unavoidable cost of responding and collecting or paying for delivery. Rule 3.24 adds that marketing must make clear the extent of the commitment a consumer must make to take advantage of a free offer.

Those rules apply to all advertising. For gambling, the ASA's AdviceOnline entry on free bets and bonuses (opens in a new tab), dated 11 September 2025, applies them directly: marketers should not describe an offer as free if the customer must risk their own money to qualify, and where a free bet needs a qualifying bet, that requirement must be stated clearly. The same entry says ambiguous claims that a bet carries no risk should be avoided unless there is genuinely no way for the customer to lose their own funds.

AdviceOnline is guidance from the CAP Executive, not a ruling. The ASA decides each complaint on the facts, so wording that looks similar can be judged differently depending on the whole ad.

Where the rules on "free" come from

The 2018 guidance, announced by CAP as "Hedge your bets" (opens in a new tab), was produced with the Gambling Commission at the same time the CMA was pushing for fairer bonus terms. It said clearly that it introduced no new rules; it explained how the existing Code applies to free bets and bonuses. Our page on significant conditions in ads covers rule 8.17 in detail, and the CAP Code section 16 page explains the social responsibility rules.

Bet £10, get free spins: how the guidance reads

There is an obvious question. Most UK casino offers ask for a deposit or a qualifying bet, yet many still describe the reward as free spins. How does that square with guidance that says an offer shouldn't be called free if you must risk your own money to qualify?

The AdviceOnline entry doesn't give a worked answer for "bet £10, get free spins" wording. It says both that marketers shouldn't call an offer free when customers must risk their own money, and that a qualifying bet for a free bet must be stated clearly. Read together, the safest reading for a consumer is this: the reward may be described as free spins only alongside a clear statement of what you must stake or deposit first, and the overall offer is not free.

That is the approach this site takes. We never write "free spins" for an offer without the condition next to it, such as "100 free spins after a £10 slots bet", and we explain what that bet costs. Our answer to are free spins really free looks at the same question from the player's side.

What a "free" spins offer really costs in pounds

Putting the numbers next to each other shows why the qualifying condition matters. The table uses each offer's published terms and a 96% RTP for illustration; actual results in any session can be very different.

On the Coral example, the £10 qualifying bet at 96% RTP costs about 40p on average, but you could lose all of it, so your money is genuinely at risk before the spins arrive. The spins are worth £10 of play, not £10 of cash. Our guide to free spins value shows how to do this sum for any offer, and what stake free spins are played at explains why spin value matters.

Why ads shouldn't say a bet carries no risk

The ASA guidance groups no-risk claims with misuse of free. Describing a bet as carrying no risk implies your own money is safe whatever happens, which is rarely true once a qualifying stake is involved. A refund paid as a free bet, for example, still requires you to stake real money first, and the refund itself usually has conditions.

Under CAP Code section 16, gambling ads also must not suggest gambling can solve money problems. Our ASA rulings on casino bonuses page lists cases where ads crossed these lines, and the glossary entry on house edge explains why losses are the expected long-run result.

A ruling on "free" bonus wording: Apollo Entertainment

An older but instructive case is the ASA's ruling against Apollo Entertainment (opens in a new tab), which traded as Golden Tiger Casino, published on 6 January 2016. An email promoted a £1,500 welcome bonus and 30 free spins with no deposit, telling recipients that if they won, they got to keep it. The 60x wagering requirement appeared only on the landing page.

The ASA upheld the complaint as misleading under CAP rules 8.17 and 8.17.1, because the wagering was a significant condition that should have been in the email. It also said the email should state that terms "apply", not that they "may apply". A 60x requirement would now break the 10x wagering cap as well, which has applied to GB-licensed casinos since 19 January 2026.

Free-to-play games and the word "free"

Demo slots are the one place where "free" can be literal: you stake nothing and win nothing. Even so, since May 2019 UK-licensed casinos can only let you play free-to-play demo games after verifying your age, and age and identity must be verified before you deposit or gamble. Our explainers on whether free spins are the same as demo play and age verification before play cover this rule.

How to read a "free" offer in a gambling ad

1. Find the condition next to the word free: the deposit, the qualifying bet, or both.
2. Convert the reward into pounds: spins × stake per spin. 100 spins at 10p is £10 of play.
3. Check whether winnings are paid as cash or as bonus funds with wagering, and how many times.
4. Look for payment methods that don't qualify, eligible games and the time to claim and use the reward.
5. Confirm the ad says "18+" and that terms apply, with full terms one click away online.
6. If the ad gives the impression your own money is never at stake, treat it with caution and read the full terms.

Who enforces the rules on free offers

The Advertising Standards Authority enforces the CAP Code across UK ads, emails, websites and social media posts that are marketing. If an ad breaches the Code, the ASA can require it to be changed or withdrawn and publishes its rulings. The Gambling Commission also requires licensees to comply with the advertising codes through licence code 5.1.6, so serious or repeated breaches can become a licensing issue.

For your own offer, the Commission's consumer page on free offers and bonuses (opens in a new tab) says companies should let you walk away at any time, let you keep what is left of your deposit and winnings from it, make clear whether you are playing with your own money or bonus funds, and not change a free bet's details once you have accepted it and started playing. Our guide to LCCP 5.1.6 and marketing explains the licence link.

What the "free" rules don't do

• They don't ban free spins or free bets. They govern how those rewards are described.
• They don't set the wagering, value or expiry of an offer; those come from the offer terms and the Gambling Commission's codes.
• They don't make an offer good value. A clearly described offer can still cost more than it gives back on average.
• They don't protect you from sites outside UK regulation, which may use wording a UK-licensed brand couldn't.

Gambling should only ever be spending on entertainment. If a free offer is tempting you to deposit more than you planned, set a limit or take a break; the National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133, and our safer gambling page lists further support.

Our partners' free spins offers, conditions first

Each of our partner offers needs a deposit or qualifying bet before any spins arrive. Every one is limited to adults aged 18+, with full terms applying.

• Coral: bet £10 on slots, get 100 free spins. New players must deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10 or more on slots; spins are 10p each on selected games, must be accepted within 48 hours and used within 7 days, and winnings have no wagering. It is available between 1 October 2026 and 1 February 2027. Paying in by Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, a prepaid card or certain debit cards won't qualify.
• Ladbrokes: play £10 on slots, get up to 500 free spins. New customers who deposit and spend £10 or more on slots get 50 spins a day for 10 days at 10p each on selected games, claimed before 23:59 each day and valid for 7 days, with no wagering. Deposits made with prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill or Moneybookers are left out.
• PlayOJO: deposit £10, get 80 free spins with no wagering. New UK customers (excluding Northern Ireland) making a first deposit of at least £10 get 80 spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each, with winnings paid in cash. It can't be combined with other offers and works only through the designated offer link.

None of our partners offers a no deposit bonus. Compare the offers on our free spins page, see how no wagering free spins pay out, or browse the other UK casino bonus rules.

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.