UKGC bans bonus mixing and caps 10x wager on incentives 

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will apply new rules on gambling incentives and promotional wording to ensure UK licences apply safe and fair terms for consumers.  

New measures include changes to end harmful marketing practices and improve consumer understanding of bonus offers and terms used, which the Commission previously detailed as an outstanding concern. 

Following a consultation, the Commission will apply a ban on promotional incentives that combine different types of gambling products, a cap on bonus wagering requirements, and a revision of the wording in the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) to improve clarity. 

New rules and reforms will become effective from 19 December 2025 as part of the broader programme of regulatory change aligned with the 2023 White Paper ‘High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age’. 

Ban on bonus mixing 

The headline change includes prohibiting the practice of offering promotional incentives that combinewagering applications with casino, bingo, sports or lottery products.

 New rules will no longer accept a bonus that requires a customer to place a sports bet and play a slot game to qualify will no longer be allowed.

Prohibiting bonus mixing has been confirmed in response to concerns that offering multiple gambling formats in one offer may confuse consumers and cause them to take higher risks especially among vulnerable consumers.

Nevertheless, incentives will be allowed to be mixed within the same category, for customers wagering on casino, poker or sports betting alone.

The consultation detailed that 50% of respondents agreed with the ban on bonus mixing, particularly charities, academics and public health advocates. 

They pointed to research such as the Pattern of Play report (2022), which indicated that some demographics  are at a higher risk of being harmed when gambling across multiple products.

These respondents welcomed the policy as  a responsible step toward harm prevention. They also argued that simplified offers would be easier to understand and less likely to mislead or pressure consumers into gambling more than intended.

Yet, many gambling licensees and trade associations opposed the ban. They raised concerns regarding the adequacy of the evidence and contended that the customers are able to exercise their free will.

Some operators came up with internal research that showed that their customers loved mixed-product offers and considered them as valuable.

Others raised concerns that the ban could affect the flexibility of business and the variety of the products for the customers.  There were also calls for clarity on whether general credit based offers, for instance, a £10 bonus  to be used on any product, would be affected. 

In response, the Commission clarified that the ban applies only to incentives where the terms are linked across product types. The UKGC also noted that this measure is different from the recent changes that will require customers to consent to marketing by product and channel starting in May 2025.

Cap on bonus wagering requirements 

A further change will see the cap on online bonus wagering requirements to be limited to 10x times the bonus amount – “a £10 bonus cannot require more than £100 in bets before any winnings can be withdrawn”.

 The Commission seeks to end excessive or misleading promotional conditions that can force consumers to gamble more than they initially planned to and are deemed as unfair. The Commission views that high wagering thresholds make it difficult for users to understand the conditions and result in quicker and riskier gaming patterns.

Put to a consultation, the majority of the respondents were once more divided for and against the 10x cap. Just over half of the respondents supported a limit while just under half wanted a complete ban on wagering requirements.

Consumer advocates who supported a ban argued  that even moderate wagering requirements are harmful and hard to understand. They pointed out that many customers are not aware of the amount of stake that they are required to make in order to win and may be  tricked into playing for longer than they had planned to.

Most industry participants did not back a complete ban on wagering requirements as licences require some form wagering requirement to stop fraud and abuse through methods like bot use or coordinated free offer exploitation.

 Several respondents believed that the 10x cap represented the sole commercially sustainable solution since any lower threshold would essentially function as a ban.

The Commission views the 10x limit as a solution which maintains consumer freedom while decreasing potential harm.

Towards a safe & fair gambling environment

To enhance these measures the Gambling Commission will restructure the Rewards and Bonuses section of the LCCP to improve clarity and understanding of  the Commission’s expectations. This initiative seeks to minimise confusion regarding promotional rule application and interpretation by licensees. 

Tim Miller, Executive Director for Research and Policy  at the Gambling Commission, 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.”

The Commission will apply changes to promotions terms to end problematic practices which it views has eroded trust with licences.