When it comes to gambling regulations, the UK stands out as having one of the most comprehensive frameworks in the world. This tight oversight exists primarily to protect players, with the UK’s Gambling Commission continuously refining and introducing new rules in consultation with industry experts, advocacy groups and gamblers themselves.
March 2025 saw the announcement of fresh regulations specifically targeting casino bonuses. These came soon after betting caps were introduced, which will restrict the maximum amount UK players can bet on online slots. Together, these regulatory changes are set to dramatically reshape how casino bonuses operate across the British market.
To get a better understanding, we spoke to 1stdepositbonus.com, a site dedicated to helping players find first deposit bonuses at casinos. They explained exactly how these new regulations will impact UK bonuses and what it will mean for players.
Wagering Requirements Limited to x10
Perhaps the biggest change is that, from December 2025, the Gambling Commission will only allow casinos to set wagering requirements for bonuses as high as x10. This means players will only need to bet their bonus amount ten times before it’s converted into real money that can be withdrawn.
The Gambling Commission cited two main reasons for introducing this change. First, to reduce any confusion regarding the wagering obligations. Second, it stated that evidence suggests that high wager requirements led to players gambling for longer periods of time.
To put this change into perspective, most casinos currently implement wagering requirements of at least x30. If you receive a £20 bonus based on this, you would need to bet a total of £600 (£20 x 30) before any remaining winnings could be withdrawn. With the new x10 wagering cap, that total would now be set at a maximum of £200.
On the face of it, this new rule is great news for players. The lower the wager target, the better chance they have of beating it and converting any winnings to cash. Some industry experts even predict that this rule will convince casinos to simply do away with wagering altogether and instead offer bonuses that pay cash straight away.
However, there are a few possible downsides worth considering. As a x10 wagering requirement gives players an easier target to reach, this represents much more of a risk to the casinos regarding a loss of revenue. Therefore, it’s expected that a few restrictions will be put in place:
- Smaller bonus amounts: Instead of having bonuses worth up to several hundred pounds, casinos will probably only offer much smaller amounts – predicted to be around £20 to £50. This will give players a lot less bonus money to enjoy.
- Maximum win limits: Some casinos already limit the maximum amount you can cash out from a bonus – for example £100. This practice is likely to become much more commonplace with x10 wagering, and the maximum amount could well be closer to £50 or even lower.
Max Bet on Slot Games
The Gambling Commission previously announced that there would be maximum bet limits on slots, which will take effect fully from May 2025. These limits are age-dependent:
- 18 to 24 year olds: £2 maximum bet per spin
- 25 years and over: £5 maximum bet per spin
These limits will have a notable impact on players when completing the wagering requirements. That’s because virtually all bonuses need to be wagered while playing slots, and these new limits have a couple of important implications.
First, most casino bonuses already have a maximum bet limit of £5 when completing wagering requirements. This is to prevent players from using large bets to clear wagering obligations quickly. However, many people don’t read this restriction in the terms and conditions and end up losing their bonus due to betting higher amounts. With the new legislation, this becomes a non-issue as no player can bet over £5 per spin, so this aspect is an improvement.
However, for those aged 18 to 24, completing wagering requirements will take considerably longer. They will only be able to bet a maximum of £2 per spin instead of the possible £5, in theory more than doubling the time needed. This might not be as significant once the wagering cap is limited to x10, but until then the typically higher targets may prove difficult for younger players to clear.
Ban on Mixing Different Gambling Products for Bonuses
Also coming into effect from December 2025 will be a ban on casinos offering bonuses to players who bet on multiple types of gambling products. For example, operators will no longer be able to offer promotions that are only released if you bet on both slots and sports.
The reason for this new rule stems from evidence suggesting that players are more at risk of developing problems when betting on multiple products instead of focusing on one, according to the Gambling Commission. Furthermore, mixing different products can cause confusion regarding terms and conditions.
Of course, this will only impact players who use sites with multiple forms of gambling. Additionally, these types of offers – where you need to bet on multiple gambling products to unlock bonuses – are becoming less common in the industry, so this particular regulation should have a less widespread impact than the others.
A Very Different Future Outlook
These new regulations represent a significant shift in how casino bonuses will work in the UK market. While the changes have been made to prioritise player protection, there are very likely to be some knock-on effects. This could have some negative impacts on certain players, such as those who prefer big bonuses and younger people attempting to clear any wagering requirements.
However, the UK gambling market has always been known for its ability to adapt to regulatory changes while continuing to provide an enjoyable experience for players. That’s sure to continue, with savvy operators likely to be able to strike the right balance in future.
