UKGC Asks Brits to Weigh in on How Deposit Limits Should Work

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has asked Brits to weigh in on how deposit limits should work. The new consultation will run until April 30 and will allow the commission to see consumers’ opinions on the matter.

The Different Types of Limits Can Confuse Consumers

The UKGC’s latest consultation is related to new consumer control rules that are set to come into force in October 2025. These changes are in line with the recommendations outlined in the 2023 Gambling Act review white paper, which sought to reform gambling for the digital age.

Historically, deposit limits were something customers could set to limit the maximum amounts of money they could deposit over a specific time period. This means that customers with a £20 weekly deposit limit would be able to deposit no more than £20 into their accounts in that week, no matter how much they win or lose.

Operators, however, have now started to adopt a different approach to deposit limits. Instead of the aforementioned approach, which is rather straightforward, some companies have opted for “net deposit limits.”

Net deposit limits take into account not only the deposits but also the withdrawals. The UKGC provided an example where a customer with a £20 deposit limit who withdraws £10 would still be able to deposit an additional £10, effectively raising the deposit limit to £30. This approach has been more favorable to winning customers who have been able to make withdrawals and still deposit money afterward.

What the UKGC Proposes

However, the UKGC argued that the two types of deposit limits can be confusing to customers, especially since the descriptions for the different types of limits are similar.

In its fourth white paper consultation, the UKGC outlined proposals for clarifying the definition of “deposit limits” and other financial limits in its Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards.

These changes are mainly to improve wording in the RTS and to ensure the gambling system is optimized to enable and empower consumers to maintain awareness and control over their gambling consistent with the aims of our initial consultation to improve consistency and understanding of the types of limits offered.  

UKGC statement

The regulator invited all stakeholders, consumers, gambling licensees and members of the public to share their views on these proposals.

Third Consultation Period Still Ongoing

At the end of January, the British regulator launched the third round of white paper consultations, which was focused on the land-based gaming machine technical standards and the related testing strategy.

The third round of consultations is still ongoing and will run until May 20, 2025. Tim Miller, the UKGC executive director for research and policy, highlighted the importance of these consultations and urged the public and industry stakeholders to share their opinions on the matter.

The regular consultation rounds align with the UKGC’s careful approach to gambling reforms.