UK Gambling Commission Sets Standardized Deposit Limit Rules for 2026

The UK Gambling Commission has announced new measures aimed at standardizing how online gambling operators define and present deposit limits to players. The initiative seeks to remove inconsistencies across platforms, improve transparency, and provide consumers with more control over their gambling habits.

Under the updated framework, which forms part of the regulator’s wider consumer protection agenda, operators must introduce clearer financial control tools and align their practices with uniform definitions.

New Definition of Deposit Limits

From June 30, 2026, all online gambling businesses will be required to use a single, standardized definition of a deposit limit. The Gambling Commission has clarified that the term “deposit limit” may only refer to restrictions based purely on “the amount a customer pays into their account over a set duration.” This move aims to eliminate confusion caused by operators previously using different interpretations of deposit-related controls.

The regulator emphasized that other types of spending restrictions—such as loss limits or measures that factor in withdrawals—may still be offered, but these must not be described as deposit limits. This distinction, according to the Commission, will ensure that players have a clear understanding of what each tool controls and can make informed decisions about their spending behavior.

Helen Rhodes, the 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.”

Earlier Milestone: October 2025 Requirements

Before the full introduction of the new standards in 2026, operators will need to comply with an initial wave of rule changes effective from October 31, 2025. These earlier obligations form part of the Commission’s phased implementation strategy designed to progressively strengthen consumer safeguards.

The upcoming 2025 measures will require all licensed gambling companies to:

• Prompt players to set a financial limit before their first deposit and make the process for changing that limit straightforward.
• Remind customers every six months to review their account and transaction history to help them stay in control of their gambling activity.
• Allow financial limits to be set via free-text entry, enabling players to define personalized and meaningful restrictions.
• Ensure that links to financial limit settings are prominently visible on both the homepage and deposit pages, requiring as few clicks as possible.
• Process all player requests to lower a financial limit immediately.

These steps, described by the Commission as a “key milestone,” represent one of the most comprehensive updates to consumer protection measures in the UK gambling sector.

Broader Consumer Protection Efforts

The announcement follows the release of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), a major study highlighting trends in national gambling participation and associated risks. According to the report, 48% of adults had gambled within the past four weeks, and when excluding lottery-only participants, that number dropped to 28%. The survey also identified that 2.7% of respondents met the criteria for problem gambling, equating to around 1.4 million people, while 6.7% reported cutting back on essential spending due to gambling.

These findings have reinforced the regulator’s resolve to tighten oversight and standardize player protection mechanisms. In addition to the new deposit limit framework, the Commission is currently piloting “enhanced frictionless financial risk assessments” targeting customers who deposit more than £1,000 within 24 hours or £2,000 over a 90-day period.

Together, these initiatives are intended to make gambling safer and ensure that customers have consistent, reliable tools to manage their play across all licensed UK operators. By mandating uniform deposit limit definitions, the Commission aims to strengthen transparency and help reduce harm, while maintaining flexibility for businesses to offer additional spending controls.

Source: 

New deposit limit rules provide clarity for consumers, gamblingcommission.gov.uk, October 7, 2025.