New UKGC Bonus Wagering Regulations Come Into Effect

Starting on January 19th 2026, a new UKGC regulation has come into force: casinos are not allowed to impose bonus wagering requirements higher than 10 times the bonus amount. This is a huge change, and here’s what you should know about it.

What is a Wagering Requirement?

If you’re new to online gambling, a wagering requirement is the number of times you have to play through bonus money before you’ll be able to cash it out.

Example: you get a £100 bonus with a 10x WR. This means you have to wager 10 x £100, which is £1000. Once that goal is met, the winnings are yours to keep.

What is the Gambling Commission Trying to Achieve?

This regulation was proposed all the way back in 2023 as a socially responsible incentive. In short, the Gambling Commission felt that high wagering requirements could be confusing for many players and lead to harmful gambling activity (e.g., longer sessions and more reckless betting).

By limiting the bonus wagering requirements to a maximum of 10 times the bonus amount, the regulator aims to protect players by making bonus play simpler, fairer, and more transparent.

How is this Going to Affect the Player and the Market?

Now comes the important question: how is this going to affect players and casinos in practice?

The most obvious and immediate effect this regulation is going to have on the market is smaller bonuses. Expect deposit matches and free spins amounts to shrink, as the new wagering cap will make more generous bonus offers less feasible for casinos.

Another potential issue that could arise is that other terms could become more complicated. Casinos might find ways to increase their edge, such as by excluding specific games or reducing the wagering contribution for certain types of games.

Example: If blackjack bets only count 10% towards the wagering requirement, that means every £10 wagered on blackjack only counts as £1 for the purposes of clearing the bonus wagering. It effectively raises the WR from 10x to 100x.

Finally, casinos may impose cashout caps more often. This would make bonuses “safer” for casinos since there would be a maximum limit on the amount a player can cash out.

In short: bonuses could become smaller, wagering could get more tedious, and win caps could become more common.

The Final Word

All things considered, the new regulations seem sound in principle, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the market in practice.

Got thoughts on the subject? Visit the Casinomeister forum and join the discussion.

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