UK Casino Bonus Rules 2026: What the 10x Cap Really Means
Rachel Doughty
Updated
As of January 19, 2026, casinos in Britain will no longer be able to give welcome bonuses with requirements higher than 10x. Additionally, they will no longer be able to combine betting with other gambling products. The changes will inevitably alter the bonuses available at British casinos. Below you will find a summary of the new rules, where the small print has moved, and the bonuses available at 10 different online casinos.
- 10xthe most wagering any UK casino bonus can carry
- 1product type per offer: betting, casino, bingo or lottery
- 19 Jan2026, when both rules started
- £500 to £100playthrough on a £10 bonus at 50x, then at 10x
UK casino bonus rules 2026: what changed on 19 January
These changes are part of the Social Responsibility Code, which all British-licensed casinos must abide by.
- Wagering capped at 10x
The Gambling Commission states that “the wagering requirements must not exceed 10 times the incentive amount.”
- One product per offer
Casinos will no longer be allowed to combine different gambling products in the same offer. The products mentioned in the Code include betting products as well as casino, bingo and lottery products.
- It covers every kind of offer
Free bets, free spins, sign-up offers and daily reward games all count as incentives under the code.
- No approval in advance
The Commission reviews the offers after they’re published.
The rules were supposed to go into effect on December 19, 2025, but that date was pushed back to January 19, 2026. Any article published before January 19, 2026, explaining the new rules described changes that would occur after that date. You can find the official rules of the Gambling Commission on their website.
The 10x wagering cap: why the number is only half the story
How much you must stake, on a £20 deposit with a £20 bonus. The bar runs to £2,000.
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Old style: 35x the bonus£700
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Now: 10x the bonus£200
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Now: 10x deposit plus bonus£400
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Now: 10x the bonus, on a game that counts 10%£2,000
The base. Both ways of interpreting "10x" are acceptable, e.g., "10x" can mean staking £200 (bonus only), or staking £400 (bonus + deposit) (both capped). In the second example, the bonus is Grosvenor's welcome offer, where a deposit of £20 is matched by a bonus of £40 and is staked at £600.
Game Weighting. The cap concerns the total amount staked and not the individual games staked. During its consultation, the Commission decided it would not regulate this. Therefore, staking £100 on a game which contributes 10% of the overall bet would result in a requirement to stake £1,000 on that game. The majority of table games and games in the live casino section contribute at 10% or not at all.
The ban on mixed-product casino offers, with the Commission's examples
The essential element is that the game being played and the reward being offered are the same.
- "Spend £5 on casino products and get 20 free spins"
Permitted.
- "Bet £5 to get 20 free spins"
Prohibited.
- "Bet £5 and get a £5 free bet and 20 free spins"
Prohibited.
- "Bet £5 to get £10 to use on any product"
Permitted.
Prohibited.
How ten UK casinos changed their welcome bonus after the cap
The welcome offers as described at the time of our review in September 2026.
| Casino | Wagering | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| MrQ | None on any promotion | Winnings are paid as cash, with no cap. |
| kwiff | None | Winnings are cash, but the offer has a £250 maximum withdrawal. |
| BetMGM | None on free spin winnings | You qualify by wagering a £10 deposit once within 7 days; the spins last 3 days. |
| BetVictor | 10x on each of three £10 bonuses | At most £100 can be redeemed per bonus. The 50 spins that come with it have no wagering. |
| Casumo | 10x the bonus amount | Seven days to finish it, on a narrow game list. |
| Duelz | 10x on free spin winnings | Winnings are capped at £100 a day and must be wagered within 7 days. |
| Grosvenor | 10x deposit plus bonus | £600 of staking on a £20 deposit and £40 bonus, within 30 days; at most £200 converts to cash. |
| BoyleSports | Not stated for spin winnings | The summary terms give no wagering figure for what the spins win. |
| LiveScore | Not in the summary terms | The full promotion terms only open after you log in. |
| Midnite | Not stated on the offer page | The spins are "non-withdrawable", with no figure for what they win. |
Operators are becoming more creative with where they place their restrictions. More and more we have seen operators either eliminate wagering requirements all together, or decrease them to a 10x. The hidden costs of these offers are found in restrictions to how and when you can make withdrawals. Our article on the best casinos with no wagering requirements compares five of the best offers where you get to keep your winnings as cash.
Casino bonus rules that still apply from before 2026
Other protective measures that the Commission advises in their Fair Terms in Trade Practice Guidance, and the Advertising Code.
- Your deposit is always yours
- You can withdraw your deposit balance at any time, even with a bonus active. Wagering never applies to play with your own money.
- Two balances, shown apart
- Cash and bonus money must be shown separately, and you must be reminded when you are playing with bonus funds.
- Key terms at the offer
- Significant conditions, such as wagering, expiry and excluded payment methods, must appear with the offer itself, not only in the full terms.
The casino is bound by the terms and conditions that govern the offer. Once you have accepted the terms, the casino is not allowed to alter or interpret them in a way that benefits them. A casino is not allowed to void your winnings under a vague term. Our article on casinos and the rules addresses this in detail.
How to read a casino bonus under the 2026 rules
Six questions, in the order that changes the value most.
- 1Is there wagering at all?
Although some restrictions will always apply, the general trend is that no-wagering offers are becoming more prevalent.
- 210x of what?
If a deposit offer has a bonus component, the offer states whether the bonus alone, or the deposit and bonus, must be staked a certain number of times before any winnings can be cashed out.
- 3How much do my games count?
To determine the effect of a game on wagering requirements, check the games weighting.
- 4What is the most I can take out?
Many offers limit the total amount you can withdraw, for example £250.
- 5How long do I have?
Once a specified period of time has passed, any winnings you have not staked will be removed. Seven days is the most common time period.
- 6What is the maximum bet?
Many bonuses cap each bet while you play through them, on top of the legal slot stake limits.
UK casino bonus rules: questions
What is the maximum wagering on UK casino bonuses?
As of January 19, 2026, the Gambling Commission has limited the amount of times a casino can set wagering requirements to 10 times the offer amount. Any requirements set over this amount by casinos under the commission is illegal.
Is 10x wagering on the bonus or on the deposit and bonus?
Both are legal under the cap. Bonus terms may stipulate that the 10 times requirement is set on the deposit plus bonus, or the bonus alone. If this is the case, determine which is used to set the requirement and stake accordingly.
Can UK casinos still offer free spins for a sports bet?
This is not allowed. As of January 19, 2026, a casino offer may not require play on sports betting, or another type of betting, and reward play on the casino.
Do game weightings still apply to bonuses?
Yes. As of the date the Commission made the ruling, it decided not to control weightings. This means that a game that only contributes 10% of the wagering requirement still makes a bonus much harder to clear.
Are no-wagering bonuses really free of conditions?
No. Prevalent alongside playthrough requirements are other restriction on the bonus, including a cap on how much you may win, how much you may withdraw, and how quickly you may withdraw your winnings.
Can a casino ask for wagering on my own deposit?
You may withdraw your deposit at any time. Only the bonus is subject to wagering requirements.
Rachel Doughty
Editor, Casino Warnings · Bristol
Rachel reads the Gambling Commission's registers and enforcement notices, and the terms casinos publish for British players, then writes them up in plain English.
- Sources
- Gambling Commission LCCP social responsibility code 5.1.1 and its consultation response; its blog "Socially responsible incentives: what operators need to know" (12 December 2025); its guidance on fair and transparent terms; CAP Code rule 8.17; the published offer terms of the ten casinos we review.
