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UK Gambling Commission to Make Customer-Set Financial Limits Mandatory

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21 September 2026

The UK Gambling Commission has announced a phased rollout of new rules requiring all online gambling operators to prompt customers to set financial limits. From 31 October 2025, players will be required to set a maximum deposit amount before making their first wager. The regulator is also standardizing what counts as a "deposit limit" in an effort to bring clarity.

Under the new provisions, operators must:

  • Prompt customers to set a financial limit at account opening, as early as possible after sign up, using unstructured text entered by the customer.
  • Remind customers to update account information every six months.
  • Action requests to reduce a financial limit immediately, without exception, upon customer request.
  • Offer access to financial limit settings via the account homepage and on every deposit page.

The changes are being introduced in two stages. The first, on 31 October 2025, establishes the new requirements for customer prompts, reminders, free-text limit setting, and access. A second phase will come into effect on 30 June 2026, introducing a standardized definition of "deposit limit". From that date, only a limit based solely on the amount a customer pays into their account over a set period can be labeled a "deposit limit". Net deposit limits, which lessen winnings, can still be offered but must not be called "deposit limits".

The Commission says the changes aim to provide players with greater awareness and control over their gambling, and to introduce consistency and clarity to financial limit options. "Currently, operators offer a variety of financial limit settings which could lead to confusion for customers. These changes are designed to fix that and ensure we are doing all we can to protect players," a spokesperson said.

The regulator is clear that it is not introducing a mandatory monthly/weekly spending cap. A statement confirms that customers, not operators, determine the actual limit amount. "Operators will prompt customers to set limits and we are standardizing what can be called a 'deposit limit' but it is still a customer-led tool. The limit amount remains entirely at the discretion of the customer."

Christian Jallow, Gambling Commission Executive Director, said the changes will help drive the industry to focus on customer safety. "We are introducing these measures following consultation and based on evidence of what will work in practice, not to design ways for operators to track spending. The intention is to help customers stay better in control and make choices about what is right for them."

The Commission's 2023 consultation outlined the plan as part of a wider series of measures to improve customer protection. It established that financial limits should be presented as a "default" option but still allow for opt out. Customers must also be able to select or deselect any financial tools before opening an account or stake.

The regulator will publish full guidance by 6 October 2025.