The Gambling Commission has announced amendments to financial limit regulations that will require all online operators to provide customers with standardised deposit limit options from 30 June 2026.
Under the new rules, operators must offer customers the ability to set a deposit limit based exclusively on the amount paid into their account over a specified duration. To eliminate confusion, only this form of limit may be designated as a 'deposit limit.'
Operators will retain the option to offer alternative limits, including loss limits or limits that factor in withdrawals.
The clarification addresses current industry practices where some platforms deduct winnings from deposit limits, allowing customers to deposit additional funds beyond their original threshold.
The Commission's approach aims to provide consistency and transparency in how financial controls are defined and communicated to consumers.
The regulatory changes are being implemented in stages. A significant set of requirements takes effect on 31 October 2025, mandating that gambling businesses prompt customers to establish a financial limit before their first deposit, with simplified processes for reviewing and adjusting these limits.
Additionally, operators must remind consumers every six months to review their account activity and transaction history.
From October, gambling businesses must also ensure financial limit-setting facilities are accessible via clearly visible links on homepages and deposit pages, minimising the number of clicks required to reach these tools. Requests to decrease financial limits must be actioned immediately.
Commenting on the development, Helen Rhodes, Gambling Commission's Director of Major Policy Projects, stated: "Our work will help empower consumers to have greater awareness and control over their gambling.
"These further changes will also bring consistency and clarity for those consumers choosing to set deposit limits, while still supporting gambling businesses to offer customer choice for different forms of limits."
The deposit limit amendments follow other recent Gambling Commission developments, including increased operational costs due to ongoing litigation related to the National Lottery licence award, and the planned closure of the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling as the regulator transitions to new research programmes funded by the statutory levy.
The system in place for many operators gives bettors more freedom to continue gambling, but does - on average - encourage greater chances of losing money
