Understanding Wagering Limits and Bonus Rules in the UK

Bonus offers are a staple of online casinos; their primary purpose is to attract new players to a site, with free spins and matched deposit amounts being the most common. 

As great as these bonus offers may seem, the problem with them is that there was little regulation in place. And unfortunately, the players were on the losing end. What many didn’t realise when they accepted these bonus offers was that there were often immense hoops to jump through concerning wagering limits and how winnings could be withdrawn. Buried deep inside the T&Cs that people rarely read were conditions giving providers a legal loophole. 

However, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) was inundated with complaints and, by 2019, decided to do something about it. These new regulations provided fairer and more transparent bonus offerings and completely changed the bonus landscape. 

The Regulatory Shift

Before 2019, there was an almost anything-goes culture surrounding online casino bonuses with promotions like massive match bonuses. A claim like ‘Join now, and we’ll match your deposit 100%-200%’ was quite common. People believed they could deposit £200 and get another £200 for free. While they technically could, it was with unrealistic restrictions. 

The biggest challenge was that these promotions often came with wagering requirements of up to 50x. This meant players who claimed the £200 bonus deposit actually needed to wager £10,000 (50 x £200) before seeing a penny of their winnings. If they’d known that upfront, would they have accepted the offer? Most probably not. 

While it was easy to blame the player for ‘not reading all the T&Cs’, victims of these bonus offers ended up facing issues like gambling debt. In 2019 and 2020, there were 132,862 total complaints; this was enough for the UKGC to take serious notice and begin implementing new regulations.

In 2023, a government white paper titled ‘High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age‘ was issued, highlighting the concerns and proposing solutions. Changes were made to Section 5.1.1, Rewards and Bonuses, of the Social Responsibility Code. 

New Requirements Under the 2025 Guidelines 

The key changes coming into force on 19 January 2026 include no more bundling of promotions, a ceiling on wagering amounts and more transparent conditions.

The most significant change concerns the cap on wagering requirements for promotional offers. This has been capped at 10x the bonus amount. If the bonus offer is for £10, the maximum wagering requirement to withdraw any winnings is capped at £100. 

In the past, gaming sites bundled promotions together, for example, ‘Spend £5 on bingo and get 10 free spins.’ After 19 January, these offers are no longer compliant. Only offers that give a player a single pot of bonus money for unrestricted use across multiple products are allowed.

Another requirement is that platforms must provide clearer wording and structure for every bonus offer. Before accepting one, a player will (hopefully) understand the offer, any wagering requirements and any time limits or expiry rules. They’ll be in a position to make more informed choices, and there will be fewer surprises at withdrawal time. 

The final change is that balances now need to be split to show actual winnings vs bonus winnings, so players can clearly understand what their withdrawal implications will be.

Given these various requirements and restrictions, players will benefit most when they browse current casino bonuses for UK players to compare these transparent offers so they can understand the true value before committing.

What Players Should Continue to Look For

The best way to approach accepting a bonus offer is to remember the adage ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch’. While the regulations have now capped the maximum wagering amounts to 10x, restricted multi-game bonus offers and insisted on clearer transparency, there are still red flags to be on the lookout for. 

Some of the conditions that players aren’t happy with weren’t addressed in the reform and are still active and widely used. 

Watch out for withdrawals that forfeit all active bonus funds—this remains one of the most common concerns. While UKGC regulations now protect your deposit balance (you can always withdraw that), requesting a withdrawal while bonus wagering is still in play typically forfeits the entire unconverted bonus, even if you’ve partially completed the requirements. 

Here’s an example: A player might wager £1,000 of a required £1,750, build their bonus from £50 to £80, then lose all £80 by withdrawing early. There’s no partial completion credit. The best practice is to complete all bonus wagering periods before attempting withdrawals, or simply withdraw your deposit and accept the bonus forfeiture if you’d rather cash out.

Be on the lookout for maximum bet restrictions. Some bonus offers will only let you place a bet up to a rather small amount, usually £5. This is an easy one to break, and players can get carried away wagering and accidentally bump the bet up. But even if they only do it once, they can void ALL their winnings, not just the bonus ones.

Additionally, maximum cashout caps—often £50 to £100 on no-deposit bonuses—can limit winnings regardless of how much you actually win, while tight time limits of 7 to 14 days create pressure to complete wagering quickly.

A Fairer Future for Online Gamblers in the UK

The changes in UK regulations for online gaming platforms are a significant win for players. Those unrealistic 50x wagering requirements are fortunately now a thing of the past, and players can appreciate the 10x ceiling going forward. The new transparency requirements are also a game-changer as players are more educated about what they’re signing up for.

The new regulations are a positive for online gamblers, but the ongoing player concerns about maximum bets and not being able to withdraw while bonuses are active are still valid. Many believe these new reforms are the first step in the right direction and that more changes are coming to favour players.

By understanding these requirements, players can identify genuinely fair offers and avoid feeling cheated.