Gambling Commission Slashes Wagering Requirements

Comparasino Co-founder Martyn Hannah responds to the Gambling Commission capping online casino bonus wagering requirements at 10x

The Gambling Commission has announced that from December, online casinos must slash wagering requirements on bonuses to a maximum of 10x. 

This is great news for players, as it means you’ll have to wager much less through the casino to unlock winnings you may have accrued from the welcome bonus or any other promotions. 

This is something I’ve been calling for the regulator to do for some time now – I wrote about the topic of wagering requirements for industry publication EGR back in August last year. 

Why the Gambling Commission has imposed the cap

The Gambling Commission said its new rules will make promotions “safer and simpler” for players. 

This is what the regulator said in a statement posted to its website: 

“Some promotional offers provide bonus funds to consumers on the condition the consumer re-stakes any winnings multiple times before being allowed to withdraw winnings from the bonus.

“For example, a £10 bonus with a 50 times wagering requirement requires the consumer to play through £500 before the winnings can be withdrawn.  

“Such high wagering requirements could confuse consumers and lead them to gamble for longer, and faster, than they are used to.

“Capping the wagering requirement to ten decreases the likelihood of harm, reduces complexity, and improves transparency while maintaining consumer choice.”

Insight: Tim Miller, Executive Director of Research and Policy

This is what the Gambling Commission’s Executive Director of Research and Policy, Tim Miller, had to say on the decision to cap wagering requirements.

“These changes will better protect consumers from gambling harm and give consumers much better clarity on, and certainty of, offers before they decide to sign up.”

Tim Miller, Executive Director for Research and Policy at the Gambling Commission

Is this good for players?

Yes and no. Lower wagering requirements are a good thing as it means you don’t need to wager as much through the casino to unlock bonus winnings. 

Using the example above, a £10 bonus with a 10 times wagering requirement would mean you need to play through £100 before winnings can be withdrawn. 

What will it mean for online casino bonuses? 

Online casinos use wagering requirements to recoup some of the cost that comes with offering bonuses to players. 

To offset the mandated reduction to wagering requirements, it might be that online casinos decide to reduce the value of the bonuses being offered, too. 

Even if they don’t do that, I’d be surprised if they get bigger. 

Still, you are much more likely to unlock winnings you accrue from bonus money or free spins and that’s what really matters. 

At the current wagering requirements imposed, which can be as high as 60x, you have to wager hundreds of pounds to unlock tens of pounds. In most cases, you run out of balance before you clear the requirement. 

With a 10x requirement, you are much more likely to complete it and then be able to withdraw your bonus winnings. 

So expect to see the size of the deposit match reduce or the number of free spins offered drop, but be reassured that you’ll have a much better chance of keeping any winnings you do get from the bonus. 

More no wagering casinos on the cards 

I think the Gambling Commission’s decision to cap wagering requirements will be a catalyst for more no wagering casinos hitting the market. 

PlayOJO is one of the most successful no wagering casinos in the UK, and I fully expect other brands to adopt its approach and do away with wagering requirements entirely. 

Even if they don’t, from December, every single online casino in the UK will be considered a low wagering casino, and what’s not to like about that?