Disclosure changes imposed by the UK regulator in January 2025 mean freebies are no longer just free.
01 November 2026
From 19 January 2026, the new Gambling Commission rules outlaw mixed gambling products in incentives and cap wagering requirements at 10 times.
This is a hard line on the bonus culture, says gambling law expert Andrew Rusbridger, who led the recent Gambling Commission review. The regulator's goals are to curtail the most potentially harmful promotions, to make the incentives fairer for consumers, and to simplify the field of operator offers, according to its 26 March 2025 announcement.
Players may not even notice changes to many promotions, while other incentives will cease to exist.
The most striking change to players is the ban on mixed-product promotions, said gambling software executive Jill Worrell when asked for her take on the changes. Operators won't be able to offer casino bonus fun-starters that require consumers to place a certain amount of bets in the sportsbook, or vice versa.
Fairer for consumers
The Commission said operators must clearer distinguish between players' balance and bonus funds in the player account. If you are playing with bonus funds, the Commission's public guidance says, your operator must make this clear.
Licensees must not hide any restrictions on the player's ability to turn the bonus into winnings.
The Commission requires this in language that is readily accessible. Although accessible and clear are not defined, experts view this as world-class clarity.
The change most often flagged to players in online updates
Wagering requirements are the most often explained concept in gambling promotions, probably because they are the least well understood.
The new UK rules allow bonuses to be wagered a maximum of 10 times.
In its 26 March 2025 press release, the Gambling Commission defined wagering requirements as the amount that bonus funds must be bet before a consumer can withdraw winnings.
It further defined 10 times' worth of wagering, according to the Commission, this means if you play with a bonus with a 10x wager this means you must spend 10 times the bonus value. Suppose a player received a £10 free bonus from an operator. In that case, they must spend £100 on slots, table games, or live dealer games to withdraw the £10.
UK players enrolled in the GamCare responsible gambling tool will be able to see their wagering via the self-service login (if enough operators implement it).
For the most dedicated players, the Commission is trying to educate the market that when an incentive says a bonus comes with 20x wagering, there are people who think, "OK, I get 20x my bonus in free play."
No, explained one operator spokesperson, replying swiftly to our email. In their experience, £30 of free spins given as a result of this type of promotion will require an expenditure of £600, if restrictions on game play are minimised. This is an average expenditure of £60 per bonus day, given the 10 free spin increment by most modern slots.
The 10x wagering cap does not necessarily mean the possibility of 10x profit for the player. Although it must mean you should not lose more than 10 times the bonus, said Assistant Director Sarah Alexander, commenting on the wagering regulations.
Wagering bans should have little effect on responsible players, said UK GDPR expert Timothy Pope. "I recall a situation several years ago," he said when asked whether players will miss the missing-incentive brag-space. "Wagering requirements of over 50x on bonuses were common. Clearing a £100 bonus would involve £5,000 in playing. Most, in my experience, if they received that much as a bonus, would have not come to that site to have their bonus removed. They enjoyed playing the game, and a helpful host was probably reminding them of the 50x requirements already. This sounds like good practice will be made enforceable."