New rules increasing the safety and simplicity of consumer promotional offers are to be introduced by the UK Gambling Commission.
Gambling businesses will be banned from offering potentially harmful offers involving consumers having to carry out two or more types of gambling, such as betting and playing slots.
Operators will also be limited on the number of times bonus funds must be re-staked before the consumer can withdraw winnings from the bonus.
The changes follow a consultation and are consistent with the 2023 White Paper High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age.
Mixed product promotion ban
Mixed product promotional offers provide bonuses on the condition the consumer plays different products, such as betting and playing slots.
But evidence shows consumers are more at risk of harm when they gamble on multiple products rather than a single product. There is also the risk that mixed product promotions confuse consumers because of complex terms and conditions.
The ban is aimed at reducing harm and boosting fairness and openness.
Bonus wagering requirements limited to ten
Some promotional offers provide bonus funds to consumers on the condition the consumer re-stakes any winnings multiple times before being allowed to withdraw winnings from the bonus.
For example, a £10 bonus with a 50 times wagering requirement requires the consumer to play through £500 before the winnings can be withdrawn.
Such high wagering requirements could confuse consumers and lead them to gamble for longer, and faster, than they are used to.
Capping the wagering requirement to ten decreases the likelihood of harm, reduces complexity and improves transparency while maintaining consumer choice.
Rewording the rewards and bonus section of Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP)
To ensure increased clarity of the Commission’s current expectations of operators it will alter the structure and wording of Social Responsibility Code 5.1.1 (Rewards and Bonuses). All changes will come into force on 19 December 2025.
Tim Miller, Executive Director for Research and Policy, said:
These changes will better protect consumers from gambling harm and give consumers much better clarity on, and certainty of, offers before they decide to sign up.