On March 26th the Gambling Commission introduced new requirements aimed at making promotions safer and simpler for consumers. These changes will be coming into effect from 19th December 2025 but what do they mean for operators and consumers?

Welcome offers and bonuses are a key part of the Gambling Industry however the Gambling Commission has criticised many of these promotions based on the following factors:
• Insufficient transparency regarding terms or eligibility criteria

• Confusing terms that may confuse customers.

• High or Complicated wagering requirements make it increasingly difficult for users to access winnings.

The UKGC has set to address these issues with stricter guidelines surrounding promotions:

1. Mixed Product Promotion Ban:

The Commission has confirmed a ban on any offers which require consumers to carry out two or more types of gambling meaning offers must not include multiple products such as Betting as well as Casino.

This change aims at tackling harms associated with consumers being at more risk of harm when gambling on multiple products as well as removing any potential confusion consumers may face when presented with complex terms and conditions.

The Commission have confirmed that the aim of this proposal is to ban the mixing of products within an individual incentive or promotional offer, where terms are linked and shared. This does not, for example, prevent the marketing of two separate promotions in one email, subject to the Customer giving the appropriate consent.

2. Limits on Wagering Requirements:

The Commission will impose limits on bonus wagering requirements and will see a set maximum wagering requirement of 10x.

This change addresses previous higher wagering requirements that operators have attached to bonus wagering and in turn reduce the likelihood of harm with the Gambling Commission stating “Such high wagering requirements could confuse consumers and lead them to gamble for longer, and faster, than they are used to”.

Proposed changes to the Structure and wording of Social Responsibility Code 5.1.1 (Rewards and Bonuses) is set to be updated to reflect the Commission’s current expectations.

The final wording will be;
3. Licensees must not:

a. Apply wagering requirements to incentives, which require customers to play through bonus funds, over a maximum of 10 times. A wagering requirement is where a customer is required to make wagers totalling a particular value for funds to become withdrawable.

Note that the wording state ‘bonus’ in relation to the wagering requirement and not ‘deposit’. Meaning it is the value of the bonus which will be used to calculate the 10x wagering cap.

This is in addition to the requirement for marketing consent to be obtained on a ‘per product’ and ‘per channel’ basis which is in effect from 1st May 2025 as covered in our previous blog found here! Since then the date for the new requirements related to marketing consent have of course been delayed to the 1st May 2025.

Don’t forget that Luke – Audit, Risk and Compliance are the leading experts in remote gambling compliance, enforcement action and conducting independent audits which give an up to date reflection of the Commissions compliance assessments!

If you wish to discuss Gambling Commission Compliance assessments and the related requirements, feel free to Contact Us for a free consultation.