What does the cap on wagering requirements in the UK change when you read a bonus offer? From 19 January 2026, a business licensed by the Gambling Commission must not ask a customer to play through bonus funds more than 10 times, and must not build a single offer from more than one type of gambling product. A deposit can still be withdrawn while a bonus is active.

The commission, which licenses gambling in Great Britain, announced the date on 26 March 2025, and the wording of its pages was checked on 9 October 2026. The cap is one number. What a customer has to stake also depends on game weighting, time limits and banned play, which sit in the terms of each offer. That is why the order of reading matters. This guide gives general information and is not legal advice. For the wider picture, read about how UK gambling law and the commission’s rules fit together.

What changed on 19 January 2026

The commission announced the changes in a news article of 26 March 2025, last updated on 24 July 2025. Under the heading “Bonus wagering requirements limited to ten”, it said: “Capping the wagering requirement to ten decreases the likelihood of harm, reduces complexity, and improves transparency while maintaining consumer choice.” The start date moved once. The commission’s page records a correction: “The date for implementation has been changed from 19 December 2025 to 19 January 2026.” Use the later date.

A wagering requirement, in the commission’s definition, “is where a customer is required to make wagers totalling a particular value for funds to become withdrawable.” The cap applies to the bonus. The commission’s consultation response says any wagering requirement attached to a bonus “must not exceed 10 times the incentive amount”. The commission’s news article gives an example: a £10 bonus with a 50 times requirement means playing through £500. At the cap, the same bonus carries a requirement of no more than £100, a figure worked out here from the rule rather than quoted from it. The sum starts from the bonus, not the deposit.

The commission gave its reasons for choosing a cap. It decided not to pursue a ban on wagering requirements, and it judged that a limit of 10 times “will take out extreme levels”, because some licensees applied “up to 60 times wagering requirements” at the time of the response. That describes licensees in 2025, not the market today.

The second change concerns what one offer can contain. The commission describes mixed product promotional offers as bonuses given “on the condition the consumer plays different products, such as betting and playing slots”. Under provision 5.1.1 of the social responsibility code in the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), licensees must no longer “include more than one type of gambling product (betting, casino, bingo, and lottery) within an incentive”. The commission’s stated reason is that consumers are more at risk of harm when they gamble on multiple products rather than a single product.

The ban has limits. An offer can include more than one product of the same type, such as a lottery scratchcard and a raffle. The ban does not reach offers where the customer chooses the product, for example £10 of credit to use as they wish across products. Licensees may also send separate betting and casino offers in the same email, provided the customer has opted in to marketing for both. Each exception comes from the commission’s response on mixing products. One offer, one product type.

One more change touches every offer. The earlier code asked for conditions that were “clearly set out and readily accessible”. The final wording requires terms that are “clear, transparent, and fair and readily accessible”. The table puts the main points side by side.

TopicBefore 19 January 2026From 19 January 2026
Wagering requirementNo cap in the codeMaximum 10x the bonus
Mixed productsNo ban in the codeNo mixing of betting, casino, bingo and lottery
Terms“Clearly set out”“Clear, transparent, and fair”

Checking an offer against the UK cap on wagering requirements, step by step

Read an offer in this order. Each step names the rule behind it and says where the terms decide instead.

  1. Find the full terms, not only the headline. The commission’s guide for operators says significant conditions must appear “within the advert and with the headline offer on all relevant landing webpages and sign-up webpages”, and that additional terms “must not be hidden in a separate tab or window on a webpage”. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) lists deposit or wagering requirements and time limits among conditions likely to count as significant. Terms that are hard to find are worth noting in their own right.
  2. Find the multiple and what it applies to. The cap is 10 times the bonus. A requirement worked out on deposit and bonus together can add up to more than 10 times the bonus alone, so look for the base the multiple is applied to. Whether a particular wording breaks the code depends on the full terms. Treat it as a prompt to ask the operator.
  3. Work out the amount to play through. Multiply the bonus by the multiple. The commission’s example, £10 at 50 times, is £500, and at the cap the same bonus allows no more than £100. That is the ceiling on the multiple, not on what you may need to stake.
  4. Check which games count and by how much. Operators often count games at different rates. A few respondents to the consultation described a bonus where roulette counts at 30%, so that each £1 staked adds 30p to the requirement. If that rate applied to a £100 requirement, it would take about £333 of stakes. The commission said that, on the evidence then available, it did not think a review of the rules on weightings was necessary, while expecting terms, including those on wagering requirements, to be clear and transparent. The terms decide here.
  5. Check the time limit and the banned play. Time limits and any maximum stake during a bonus are set in the terms, so look there for both. Banned play must be spelled out: the commission’s guidance says terms must “clearly specify all prohibited types or patterns of play”, and operators “must not ban a form of play that was not clearly outlined to the players in advance”. A customer who loses winnings because of a breach must be given a full explanation, including the specific terms breached.
  6. Confirm that your deposit stays yours. The commission’s guidance on withdrawing a deposit, last updated on 28 May 2024, says players “must not be made to meet wagering requirements before they can withdraw money from their deposit balance”. Deposit and bonus balances must be displayed separately, and a deposit can be withdrawn while a bonus is active. Its example of a banned term reads: “Before making any withdrawals from your deposit account, you must first wager the value of this 5 times”. The principle is older than the cap. On 1 February 2018 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that three operators had committed to change their bonus promotions so that players could always withdraw their own money. The terms decide what happens to the bonus itself if you withdraw.
  7. Check whether the offer joins products. A bonus for casino play that is given only after a sports bet is a mixed product promotion, and a licensee must not make one. An offer of credit to use on the product of your choice is outside the ban, as are separate betting and casino offers in the same email. Write down which products an offer needs before you accept it.
  8. Keep a dated copy of the terms. Save a screenshot or PDF of the offer and its terms on the day you accept, with the deposit confirmation. Under licence condition 7.1.1, “customers must be notified of material changes to terms before they come into effect”, so a dated copy shows what applied when. The commission’s complaints guidance asks for “dates, times and amounts of money”, so the same copy doubles as evidence. A complaint without dates is hard to follow up.

The table condenses the steps into six checks.

CheckWhere to lookRule behind it
MultipleBonus termsMaximum 10x the bonus
DepositWithdrawal termsNo requirement on the deposit
BalancesAccount pageShown separately
ProductsOffer summaryNo mixing of the four types
Game weightingGame list in termsThe terms decide
Banned playRestrictions sectionListed in advance

What the commission actually checks and where its reach ends

The cap and the ban on mixed products are conditions of a licence. The commission’s page for the code says a breach may lead it to review the licence with a view to suspension, revocation or a financial penalty. Licence condition 7.1.1 adds a second layer: terms must not be unfair and must be transparent within the meaning of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and licensees must not commit unfair commercial practices under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The commission also names the CMA as “the lead regulator for consumer protection law” in its guide on fair and transparent terms.

Three limits are worth knowing.

  • An individual dispute does not go to the commission. Its own page says it does not have the powers to resolve individual gambling complaints, so the route runs through the operator’s complaints process and then an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider, as the next section explains.
  • The rules bind licensees. A site without a Gambling Commission licence is not bound by the code, so the cap, the ban on mixed products and the complaints route cannot be taken for granted. That is what you lose without a licence. A separate guide covers what the law says about operators without a Gambling Commission licence.
  • The cap fixes the multiple only. Game weighting, time limits and maximum stakes depend on the terms, which must still be fair and transparent under licence condition 7.1.1.

If a bonus term does not look right

The commission’s complaints guidance sets out the route.

  1. Complain to the operator first. Follow its complaints process, which is on its website. The gambling business has “8 weeks to resolve your complaint from when they receive it”.
  2. Go to an ADR provider if the outcome does not settle it. After eight weeks a complaint can be taken to an ADR provider, which the commission describes as “a free, independent service”. The operator should be able to say which provider to use. A complaint cannot go to an ADR provider without first going through the operator’s own process.
  3. Put the evidence in the complaint. Name the term the operator relied on, the date you accepted the offer, the amounts involved and the screenshots from step eight above.

Neither route guarantees a result.

Bonuses and gambling harm

The commission gave harm as its reason for both changes. Its news article says that “evidence shows consumers are more at risk of harm when they gamble on multiple products rather than a single product”, and that high wagering requirements “could confuse consumers and lead them to gamble for longer, and faster, than they are used to”. A bonus can also feel like a reason to keep playing, or to win back what has been lost. Playing on to win back losses is known as chasing losses.

Someone experiencing gambling harms, or a person close to them, can call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 for free and confidential support. Tools and support are collected in safer gambling tools and support.

Where to report a bonus term and where to get help

  • A term that does not fit the cap on wagering requirements or the other bonus rules: complain to the operator, then to an ADR provider if the outcome does not settle it.
  • A site that may have no licence: check the business in the commission’s public register and note the date of the check. Licensed businesses must display their licence status and link to the register.
  • Gambling harm: the National Gambling Helpline, 0808 8020 133, gives free and confidential support.

Questions about the 10 times cap

What is the cap on wagering requirements in the UK?

From 19 January 2026, a business licensed by the Gambling Commission must not apply a wagering requirement of more than 10 times the bonus amount. The rule is a condition of the licence, so it covers licensed operators rather than every site a customer can reach. The commission announced it on 26 March 2025.

Does the 10 times cap apply to your deposit as well as the bonus?

The cap applies to the bonus, not the deposit. Separately, the commission’s guidance says a player must not be made to meet wagering requirements before withdrawing money from the deposit balance, and that a deposit can be withdrawn while a bonus is active. The terms decide what then happens to the bonus.

What is a mixed product promotion, and is it still allowed?

A mixed product promotion gives a bonus on condition that the customer plays different products, such as betting and slots. Since 19 January 2026 a licensed operator must not combine betting, casino, bingo and lottery in one incentive. Offers within a single product type, and offers where the customer picks the product, fall outside the ban.

Does the cap on wagering requirements in the UK set game weightings?

The cap limits the multiple only. In its consultation response the commission said it saw no need to review the rules on weightings at that time, while expecting terms, including those on wagering requirements, to be clear and transparent. The offer’s terms set the rates, so check the game list in the terms before you play.

What can you do if an operator keeps your winnings because of a bonus term?

Ask for the full explanation: the commission’s guidance says a customer who loses winnings because of a breach of promotional play restrictions must be given one, including the specific terms breached. Then follow the operator’s complaints process, which has eight weeks to resolve a complaint, and use an ADR provider if the outcome does not settle it.

Do you pay tax on winnings from a bonus?

Section 51 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 says winnings from betting, lotteries and games with prizes are not chargeable gains, and the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Business Income Manual says betting and gambling, as such, do not constitute trading. This is not tax advice. A separate guide explains whether you pay tax on gambling winnings in the UK.

Do the new bonus rules apply to sites without a Gambling Commission licence?

The rules are licence conditions, so they bind licensees. A site without a Gambling Commission licence is not bound by them, and a customer cannot rely on the cap, the mixed product ban or the commission’s complaints route. The section on what the commission actually checks explains where that leaves a customer.

Sources

The £100 and £333 figures are worked out from the quoted rules, and the 30% rate is an illustration from the consultation response, not a rule.