UK Gambling Commission Bonus Rules Explained

Starting 19 January 2026, new rules will ban operators from mixing different gambling products in the same promotion and will cap wagering requirements on bonus offers. These changes aim to make bonuses simpler and safer for you to use. The rules also require clear terms and conditions so you can make informed decisions about which offers to accept.

Understanding these regulations helps you spot fair bonuses and avoid potentially harmful promotions. This guide explains what the rules mean for you, how they protect players, and what changes operators must make to follow the new standards.

Overview of UK Gambling Commission Bonus Rules

The UK Gambling Commission sets strict standards for how gambling operators can offer bonuses and promotions to players. These rules protect consumers from misleading offers and ensure that bonus terms remain clear and fair.

Purpose of Bonus Regulations

The Gambling Commission designed these regulations to make promotional offers safer and simpler for you to understand. Bonus rules prevent operators from creating confusing or predatory offers that could lead to harm. The regulations require clear presentation of terms and conditions so you can make informed decisions about which bonuses to accept.

Starting 19 January 2026, major changes will ban operators from mixing different gambling products within the same promotion. This means you won’t see offers that try to push you from one type of gambling to another through combined incentives. The rules aim to reduce the risk of you being encouraged to try products you weren’t originally interested in using.

Who Must Comply With Bonus Rules

All licensed gambling operators in Great Britain must follow these bonus regulations. This includes betting sites, online gaming platforms, and any business that offers remote gambling services to UK customers.

If a company holds a licence from the Gambling Commission, they must comply with the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). These standards apply regardless of the operator’s size or how many customers they serve. Operators who fail to follow the rules face enforcement action, including fines or licence suspension.

The regulations cover both new customer offers and ongoing promotions for existing players. Your protection under these rules remains the same whether you’re signing up for the first time or receiving a loyalty reward.

Scope of Regulated Bonus Offers

The rules cover all types of promotional incentives operators can offer you. This includes free bets, free spins, deposit bonuses, cashback offers, and reward schemes.

Key regulated areas include:

• Wagering requirements on bonus funds
• Time limits for using promotional offers
• Minimum deposit conditions
• Maximum bet sizes when using bonus money
• Withdrawal restrictions on winnings

From January 2026, cross-selling promotions between different gambling verticals face tight restrictions. You cannot receive bonuses that combine sports betting with gaming products unless the reward is genuinely unrestricted. This means you must have full freedom to choose which product category to use your bonus on, without pressure to try multiple types of gambling.

Types of Bonuses Governed by the UK Gambling Commission

The UK Gambling Commission regulates all promotional offers that gambling operators provide to customers. These rules apply to deposit bonuses, free bet offers, loyalty rewards, and any incentive that encourages gambling activity.

Welcome Bonuses

Welcome bonuses are promotional offers given to new customers when they first sign up or make their initial deposit. These typically include matched deposit bonuses or free bet credits.

The Commission requires operators to present these offers with clear terms. You must be able to understand exactly what you need to do to qualify for the bonus and what conditions apply before you can withdraw any winnings.

Under the new rules starting January 2026, welcome bonuses cannot require you to gamble on two different product types. For example, an offer cannot make you place sports bets and play casino slots to unlock your bonus. The promotion must focus on a single gambling vertical.

Wagering requirements must be reasonable and clearly stated upfront. You need to know how many times you must bet the bonus amount before withdrawing funds.

Free Spins and Free Bets

Free spins are typically offered for online slot games, whilst free bets apply to sports betting. Both count as promotional incentives under the Commission’s regulations.

Operators must clearly explain any restrictions on these offers. This includes which games the free spins work on, what odds qualify for free bets, and whether winnings face wagering requirements.

The maximum win caps must be stated clearly before you accept the offer. Some free spin promotions limit how much you can win from the bonus.

Free bet stakes usually don’t get returned with your winnings. You receive only the profit from a winning bet, not the stake amount back.

Reload and Ongoing Promotions

Reload bonuses are offers given to existing customers when they make additional deposits after their first one. Ongoing promotions include weekly or monthly offers available to active players.

These bonuses follow the same clarity requirements as welcome offers. Operators must display all terms in plain language that you can easily understand.

The ban on mixed product promotions applies here as well. A reload offer cannot require you to play bingo and casino games to qualify for rewards.

Price boosts and enhanced odds on sports betting fall under ongoing promotions. The Commission requires these offers to clearly state the standard odds alongside the enhanced price.

Loyalty and VIP Schemes

Loyalty schemes reward you for continued gambling activity through points, tier systems, or exclusive perks. VIP programmes typically offer additional benefits to high-spending customers.

These programmes must not encourage harmful gambling behaviours. The Commission monitors schemes that might push you to gamble more than you intended just to maintain a status level or earn rewards.

Points-based systems need transparent conversion rates. You should easily understand how much you need to wager to earn points and what those points are worth.

VIP benefits cannot include promotions that mix different gambling products unless you have complete freedom to choose where to use your rewards. Any restrictions must be stated clearly when you join the programme.

Transparency and Disclosure Requirements

Operators must provide clear information about bonus terms and ensure players understand what they’re agreeing to before accepting any offer. The UKGC requires specific disclosure standards and language rules to prevent confusion and protect consumers.

Presentation of Terms and Conditions

You must be able to access all bonus terms before you accept an offer. Operators need to display these terms in a way that makes them easy to find and read.

The terms cannot be hidden behind multiple clicks or buried in lengthy documents. Key information about wagering requirements, restrictions, and expiry dates should appear alongside the promotional offer itself.

When you’re considering a bonus, the operator must show you the most important conditions upfront. This includes how much you need to wager, which games count towards the requirements, and any time limits that apply.

The presentation format matters too. Terms should use a readable font size and clear layout that works on both desktop and mobile devices.

Key Terms and Significant Conditions Disclosure

Certain conditions have a major impact on whether a bonus provides real value. These must be disclosed prominently.

Operators must tell you immediately if you’re playing with restricted funds. You need to know what happens if you don’t meet the wagering requirements and which games or bets don’t count towards fulfilling those requirements.

Maximum bet limits during bonus play require clear disclosure. Many bonuses restrict how much you can stake per spin or bet, and breaking these rules can void your winnings.

Withdrawal restrictions and any caps on winnings from bonus funds must be stated clearly. If there’s a maximum amount you can withdraw from bonus winnings, you should know this before you start playing.

Use of Clear and Non-Misleading Language

Bonus terms must use plain language that you can understand without needing legal expertise. Technical jargon and confusing terminology are not acceptable.

The UKGC prohibits misleading statements or terms that create false expectations. If a bonus has significant restrictions, the promotional material cannot imply that it’s “free” without qualification.

You should be able to understand exactly what you’re getting and what you need to do to withdraw any winnings. Ambiguous terms or contradictory statements violate the transparency requirements.

Numbers and percentages must be accurate and presented in context. If an operator advertises a match bonus, the terms must clearly explain how the matching works and any limits that apply.

Wagering Requirements and Bonus Restrictions

The UK Gambling Commission has introduced specific limits on wagering requirements and placed new restrictions on how bonus funds can be used. Wagering requirements are now capped at a maximum of 10 times the bonus amount, and operators must follow clear rules about bet limits and bonus expiry periods.

Maximum Bet Limits With Bonus Funds

When you play with bonus funds, operators typically impose maximum bet limits to prevent you from placing large wagers. These limits protect both you and the operator from excessive risk whilst bonus terms are active.

Most UK gambling sites set maximum bet limits between £2 and £5 per spin or bet when using bonus funds. If you exceed this limit, the operator may void your bonus and any winnings derived from it. The specific limit varies by operator, so you need to check the terms before you start playing.

Some operators apply different bet limits depending on the game type. Slots might have a £5 maximum, whilst table games could be restricted to £25 per hand. Breaking these limits, even accidentally, can result in forfeited winnings.

Bonus Expiry and Claimed Bonuses

Bonus funds don’t last forever. Operators set expiry periods that determine how long you have to meet wagering requirements before the bonus and any associated winnings are removed from your account.

Most bonuses expire within 7 to 30 days after you claim them. The new regulations require operators to clearly state expiry dates in their terms. You must complete all wagering requirements before the deadline, or you’ll lose both the bonus and any winnings generated from it.

Once you claim a bonus, you’re typically required to use it before you can withdraw any funds. Some operators enforce a “bonus lock” system where you must complete wagering before accessing your own deposited money.

Contribution of Different Games to Wagering

Not all games contribute equally to wagering requirements. Slots usually contribute 100%, meaning every pound you wager counts in full towards meeting the requirement.

Table games like blackjack and roulette often contribute much less, typically between 10% and 20%. Some games might not contribute at all. If you wager £100 on blackjack with a 10% contribution rate, only £10 counts towards your wagering requirement.

Live dealer games frequently have reduced contribution rates or are excluded entirely. Video poker and certain high RTP slots may also have lower contribution percentages or be restricted from bonus play altogether.

Player Protection Measures

The UK Gambling Commission has strengthened player protection requirements to give you more control over your gambling activity and prevent operators from imposing unfair restrictions. These measures focus on your right to exclude yourself from promotions, fair treatment when claiming bonuses, and protections against account-based restrictions.

Self-Exclusion and Bonus Opt-Outs

You have the right to exclude yourself from receiving bonus offers and promotional communications at any time. Operators must provide clear and accessible methods for you to opt out of marketing materials and bonus schemes without affecting your ability to use your account normally.

When you choose to self-exclude from bonuses, gambling operators cannot:

• Send you promotional offers via email, SMS, or push notifications
• Display targeted bonus offers when you log into your account
• Penalise you by restricting access to standard account features
• Make it difficult to opt back in if you change your mind

The operator must process your opt-out request immediately. You should see the changes take effect within 24 hours at most.

Prevention of Unfair Restrictions

Operators cannot impose unfair terms that prevent you from withdrawing your own deposited funds. Any restrictions placed on your account must be clearly explained before you accept a bonus offer.

You have specific protections against common unfair practices. Gambling sites cannot require you to wager your own deposit multiple times just because you claimed a bonus. They also cannot lock your deposited money until you complete wagering requirements on bonus funds.

If you forfeit a bonus, your original deposit and any winnings from that deposit must remain available for withdrawal. The operator can only restrict the bonus money and winnings derived specifically from those bonus funds.

Restrictions on Linked Accounts

The Gambling Commission prohibits operators from restricting your bonuses based on connections to other accounts in your household. You cannot be denied promotional offers simply because someone else at your address holds an account with the same operator.

Operators can only apply restrictions to linked accounts when they have evidence of bonus abuse or fraud. Sharing an IP address or payment method with another legitimate customer does not constitute grounds for automatic bonus restrictions.

Advertising Standards for Bonus Offers

Gambling operators must follow strict advertising standards when promoting bonus offers to UK customers. Both the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority work together to ensure all bonus advertisements meet regulatory requirements.

Advertising Compliance Checks

Your bonus advertisements must comply with regulations from both the Gambling Commission and the ASA. The ASA serves as the UK’s independent advertising regulator and monitors all gambling promotions across UK media.

You need to ensure your bonus offers don’t mislead customers or encourage irresponsible gambling. All advertisements must present terms clearly and avoid creating false expectations about winning potential. The Gambling Commission requires that promotional materials are socially responsible and don’t target vulnerable groups.

When you create bonus advertisements, you must verify that the content aligns with the Advertising Codes. The ASA can investigate complaints and require changes to non-compliant advertisements. Operators face potential enforcement action if they fail to meet these standards.

Your marketing materials must not exaggerate the benefits of bonus offers or minimise the risks of gambling. You should design advertisements that help customers make informed decisions rather than pressure them into claiming offers.

Required Prominence of Key Terms

You must display key terms and conditions prominently in all bonus advertisements. Important restrictions like wagering requirements, time limits, and eligibility criteria cannot be hidden in small print or buried on separate pages.

The Gambling Commission requires that customers can easily understand what they’re agreeing to before they claim a bonus. Significant conditions must appear clearly alongside the main promotional message. You cannot use misleading language that suggests offers are simpler or more generous than they actually are.

When you advertise free bets or bonus offers, you must ensure the promotional terms appear in a size and position that customers will notice. Terms displayed in small font sizes or at the bottom of lengthy pages don’t meet regulatory standards.

Enforcement of UK Gambling Commission Bonus Rules

The Gambling Commission uses active monitoring systems and conducts investigations to ensure operators follow bonus rules, with penalties ranging from financial sanctions to licence revocation for non-compliance.

Monitoring and Investigations

The Gambling Commission monitors gambling operators through regular audits and reviews of promotional materials. You should know that the regulator examines bonus terms, marketing communications, and customer-facing materials to verify compliance with the rules that took effect on 19 January 2026.

The Commission uses both proactive monitoring and reactive investigations based on consumer complaints. When potential violations are identified, the regulator launches formal investigations that require operators to provide detailed documentation of their bonus structures and promotional practices.

Operators must maintain records of all promotions and bonus offers. The Commission expects you to demonstrate how your bonuses meet the requirements, including evidence that mixed product promotions are genuinely unrestricted and that wagering requirements fall within permitted limits.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Operators who breach bonus rules face enforcement action from the Gambling Commission. The regulator issues formal warnings for minor infractions and financial penalties for more serious violations. These penalties can reach substantial amounts depending on the severity and frequency of non-compliance.

The Commission can impose additional conditions on your operating licence if you repeatedly violate bonus rules. In the most serious cases, the regulator may suspend or revoke your licence entirely, preventing you from offering gambling services in Great Britain.

You may also face public enforcement notices that identify your company and detail the violations. These published actions damage your reputation and alert consumers to non-compliant practices. The Commission prioritises enforcement action against operators who design promotions that encourage excessive gambling or mislead customers about bonus terms.

Recent Changes and Updates to Bonus Regulations

The UK Gambling Commission introduced major changes to bonus regulations that took effect on 19 December 2025. These rules aim to make promotions safer and easier to understand for players like you.

The most significant change is a ban on mixed product promotions. Gambling operators can no longer offer bonuses that require you to play two or more different types of gambling products. For example, a promotion that asks you to place sports bets and play slots is now prohibited.

Key regulatory changes include:

• Ban on cross-selling promotions between different gambling verticals
• Caps on wagering requirements for bonus funds
• Simplified wording requirements for promotional terms
• Prohibition of offers linking multiple gambling products

The new rules were first announced in March 2025. The Commission then issued additional guidance to clarify how operators should implement these changes. Some technical amendments to the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice will come into force on 19 January 2026.

You can now expect clearer bonus terms and restrictions on how many times you must wager bonus funds before making a withdrawal. The regulations also require gambling businesses to use simpler language when explaining promotional offers.

These changes mark a substantial shift in how operators can design and advertise bonuses. The Commission aims to protect you from potentially harmful marketing practices whilst ensuring you have full freedom to choose how to use genuinely unrestricted rewards.

Best Practices for Operators Offering Bonuses

You need to review all existing promotional offers before 19 January 2026 to ensure compliance with the new rules. Start by identifying any promotions that combine different gambling products within a single offer.

Design bonuses with clear terms. You should limit wagering requirements to a maximum of 10 times the bonus amount. Make sure players can easily understand what they must do to use or withdraw bonus funds.

You must avoid mixing gambling products in your promotions. This means you cannot create offers that require players to bet on both sports and casino games, or combine any other product types within one promotion. Each bonus should focus on a single gambling vertical.

Key compliance steps you should take:

• Separate all cross-product promotions into individual offers
• Update loyalty programmes that reward play across multiple products
• Revise in-app reward mechanisms that encourage switching between verticals
• Ensure bonus terms are written in plain language

You should give customers full control over how they use promotional funds. Players must be able to choose where to spend their bonuses without being directed to specific products or games outside the original offer.

Review your marketing materials and website copy regularly. You need to remove any language that encourages risky gambling behaviour or makes bonuses seem more valuable than they are.

Keep detailed records of all promotional offers and their terms. You should be able to demonstrate compliance if the Gambling Commission requests evidence during an audit.

Conclusion

The UK Gambling Commission’s new bonus rules represent a clear shift in how operators can offer promotions. These changes took effect on 19 January 2026, with specific LCCP provisions coming into force shortly after.

Key changes you should remember:

• No mixing of different gambling products in a single bonus offer
• Clearer terms and conditions for all promotional offers
• Restrictions on wagering requirements
• Better protection against harmful marketing practices

You now have more control over your gambling choices. Operators cannot push you to try multiple products through combined bonus offers. If you receive a bonus, you’ll know exactly what it applies to without confusing terms.

The rules aim to make bonuses simpler and safer. You won’t face pressure to gamble on products you’re not interested in just to unlock a reward. Each bonus must focus on one type of gambling activity, whether that’s betting, bingo, or live dealer games.

What this means for you:

• Promotional offers are more straightforward
• Terms and conditions are easier to understand
• Less risk of being pushed towards multiple gambling products
• Greater transparency in how bonuses work

These regulations change how you interact with gambling promotions. You can make informed decisions without complex bonus structures that mix different gambling types. The Commission expects all licensed operators to follow these rules strictly.