UK VIP scheme rules

What the UK VIP scheme rules say

The rules start with one line in the Gambling Commission's social responsibility code: LCCP 5.1.1 (opens in a new tab) requires incentives for high-value customers to be offered in a way that is consistent with the licensing objectives and takes account of Commission guidance. That guidance, High value customers: industry guidance (opens in a new tab), sets minimum standards. It is direct about the consequence of falling short: an operator that can't meet them should not be running a VIP scheme at all.

The guidance doesn't define a 'VIP' with a single spending figure. Each operator defines its high-value customers according to its business and customer base, and must be able to explain that definition. What matters is the type of incentive: tailored perks linked to high spend or frequent play, such as a dedicated account manager, invitations to events, or individual bonuses and gifts. Offers open to everyone, such as a public prize draw or the standard loyalty bonus that every player earns, are outside its scope.

When the VIP scheme rules came in: timeline

The Commission announced the changes on 30 September 2020 in a news release titled new rules to stamp out irresponsible VIP customer practices (opens in a new tab), and they took effect a month later. Its casework had found that VIP schemes could make it harder to spot customers experiencing harm, and in some cases encouraged harmful play.

The checks before anyone becomes a VIP

The guidance asks for three checks before a customer gets VIP treatment, each evidenced on file. The affordability check asks whether the customer's gambling fits within what they can sustainably spend on leisure, not just whether they have money in an account today. The safer gambling check looks for signs of harm or vulnerability. Enhanced due diligence means current proof of identity, occupation and source of funds.

Source of funds is narrower than general wealth. Operators should identify the actual money being used to gamble, and be careful with one-off windfalls such as an inheritance or redundancy pay, because a large balance arriving once says little about whether spending can continue. Staff carrying out these checks should be separate from the people who manage VIP relationships, so commercial targets don't colour the result. Our explainer on source of funds and the question what is a source of funds check cover the documents typically requested.

Vulnerability is assessed broadly: personal factors, situations such as financial difficulty or major life changes, and behaviour such as a high appetite for risk. A previous self-exclusion is a significant warning sign. Offering VIP perks to someone who has self-excluded in the past is appropriate only in limited cases, and needs documented reasons, senior sign-off and extra controls, at minimum mandatory deposit or spend limits.

Ongoing reviews and what happens if a check fails

VIP status isn't permanent. The guidance requires checks to continue at a frequency set by risk, and without any change in the risk assessment each high-value account must still be reviewed at least every three months. If a VIP fails a check, their status must be suspended immediately until the risk is addressed. Options then include a safer gambling conversation, limits, a report to the authorities where money laundering is suspected, or ending the relationship.

A customer who won't provide the information the operator needs is simply not eligible for VIP incentives. Activity should be reviewed across all of the customer's accounts with the same operator or related group businesses, whatever brand or product they use. That last point matters for groups such as Entain, which runs both Coral and Ladbrokes through LC International Limited; our page on how sister site bonuses work explains why shared ownership changes what you can claim.

How the rules shape VIP bonuses and perks

The guidance sets limits on the incentives themselves, not just on who gets them. VIP offers must not exploit vulnerability or encourage chasing losses, longer sessions, higher spending or faster play. Their timing shouldn't follow a period of heavy play or a large loss, and their size should be proportionate to the customer's spending and consistent with the affordability assessment. Tiered schemes must not push people to gamble more to reach or keep a status level.

On top of that, VIP bonuses follow the same promotion rules as everyone else's. Since 19 January 2026, the 10x wagering cap means wagering can't exceed ten times the bonus, and the mixed-product ban stops one offer from combining, say, sports betting and casino. An offer also can't be changed or made bigger because you reach its qualifying spend faster than the offer period allows.

A worked example: what a VIP perk is worth

Suppose a VIP is offered a £200 bonus with 10x wagering. Clearing it means £2,000 of bets. At a 4% house edge, that much play costs about £80 on average, so the bonus has an expected value of roughly £120 before any max-win cap or game restrictions, and that figure only holds if the customer was going to play that much anyway. Now compare a 10% cashback perk on a £1,000 losing month: £100 comes back, but £900 is still lost. Neither perk changes the odds. Our expected value guide shows how to run these numbers on any offer.

Account managers, staff pay and senior oversight

The VIP manager is often the face of a scheme, so the guidance spends time on how they work. Staff must not be paid or rewarded according to a customer's losses, spending or activity. They need recorded, regularly refreshed training on safer gambling and anti-money laundering risks, and their safer gambling actions should form part of their appraisals. Where possible they should be rotated, and they must not build personal, friend-like relationships with customers.

Above them, each scheme needs a named senior executive owner, who for most licensees should hold a personal management licence. That person reviews the risk and signs off VIP access and incentives, while boards or executive committees oversee the arrangements. Operators are also responsible for any affiliates involved in recruiting or managing high-value customers. The glossary entry on high-value customers summarises the terms used.

What to do if you're invited into a VIP scheme

An invitation is not a reward for being good at gambling; it means an operator considers you a high-spending customer. Before saying yes, run through these steps:

1. Look at your own deposit and withdrawal history for the last three to six months and work out your net loss.
2. Ask yourself whether that amount fits comfortably within what you spend on leisure, without borrowing or dipping into savings.
3. Read the scheme terms: how perks are earned, what wagering applies, and whether levels can go down.
4. Expect the operator to ask for evidence of your income or source of funds, and decide whether you are comfortable providing it.
5. Set deposit and loss limits before joining, as the guidance asks operators to offer you an active choice on limits.
6. Remember you can leave at any time: operators must remove you promptly from reward programmes when you ask and stop personalised incentives immediately.

Our question page are VIP schemes safe looks at the risks in more detail, and the guide to how VIP schemes work explains common structures such as levels, points and account managers.

What the VIP scheme rules don't cover

• General loyalty schemes. Points, levels or comp points open to every customer on the same terms are outside the high-value guidance, although the general promotion rules still apply.
• A fixed spending threshold. There is no Commission figure that makes someone a VIP; each operator sets and justifies its own definition.
• A ban on VIP schemes. The Commission tightened the rules rather than banning schemes outright.
• Credit-reference affordability checks. Financial risk assessments using credit-reference data were piloted but are not live; the VIP checks rely on the operator's own enhanced due diligence.

For the wider comparison between everyday rewards and invitation-only schemes, see loyalty vs VIP.

VIP status and signs of harm

High spending and gambling harm can overlap, which is the reason the rules exist. If an operator's customer interaction monitoring finds strong indicators of harm, it must stop marketing and new bonus take-up under a separate code in force since 12 February 2023, and VIP perks are included. Our page on bonuses and harm indicators explains that duty.

If your spending feels out of control, free support is available 24/7 from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, run by GamCare (opens in a new tab). You can also self-exclude from all UK-licensed online gambling through GAMSTOP.

VIP scheme rules and our partner casino offers

None of our partners' welcome offers is a VIP perk, and we don't promote VIP schemes. PlayOJO's help pages describe OJO Levels, which only go up and don't all carry a reward, daily perks called Kickers, and an invitation-only OJO Club with an assigned manager; PlayOJO also pays OJOplus money back on every game played, with no wagering. Its help centre (opens in a new tab) has the details. For Coral and Ladbrokes, check each casino's promotions page for any rewards scheme, as terms change.

The welcome offers below are for new customers aged 18+, and terms apply:

• PlayOJO: 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each (£8 in total) with a first deposit of £10 or more. No wagering, so winnings are paid as cash. Not available in Northern Ireland. More on the PlayOJO VIP and loyalty page.
• Coral Casino: deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10+ on slots for 100 free spins at 10p (£10 in total), accepted within 48 hours and valid for 7 days, with no wagering on winnings. Runs until 1 February 2027.
• Ladbrokes Casino: deposit and spend £10+ on slots for 50 free spins a day over 10 days (up to 500, worth up to £50), claimed by 23:59 each day, valid 7 days, no wagering.

Coral and Ladbrokes exclude PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe and prepaid card deposits, among others. Treat any offer as part of the cost of entertainment: losses are likely over time.

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.