The 2026 UKGC Bonus Revolution 

New UKGC bonus rules for 2026 mean wagering requirements are now capped at 10x. The change, part of the Social Responsibility Code 5.1.1, represents the biggest shift in UK gambling promotions in a decade. Martyn Hannah, Comparasino Co-founder, gives you the lowdown. 

Let me start with a scenario. You get a £100 bonus but it comes with a 50x wagering requirement you must complete before you can unlock any winnings you get from it. 

That means spinning a massive £5,000 back through the casino. 

That might seem unfair, and the team at Comparasino couldn’t agree more. That’s why we’ve long been campaigners of lowering wagering requirements. 

And that’s exactly what happened on 19 January 2026 when the Gambling Commission’s new Social Responsibility Code 5.1.1 came into force. 

What does this mean? It means that online casinos must now cap wagering requirements at just 10x – a major step forward in ensuring fair online casino bonuses in the UK market. 

Online casino bonus wagering requirements are now capped at 10x

The death of 40x wagering 

This new world order is to be celebrated, because it makes a massive difference to the bonuses you receive and how much of the winnings you get to keep. 

Let’s take a quick look at the basic math. 

Scenario: you receive a £100 deposit match bonus when you sign up to NEW Casino for the first time. The bonus comes with a wagering requirement on the bonus amount. 

Here’s how it would play out:

Just something to watch out for: Even with a 10x cap, operators can effectively increase wagering through game weighting. For example, if roulette only counts for 10%, a 10x bonus effectively becomes a 100x bonus for a roulette player.

So why have these changes come into force?

They form part of wider action from the UK Gambling Commission to ensure fair play and to protect the most vulnerable players. 

Wagering requirements, especially high ones, bring “forced intensity” and can encourage players to gamble more and for longer, just to unlock winnings from a bonus. 

Five casino bonuses with a 10x wagering requirement or lower:

These brands already offer low wagering bonuses: 

• – PlayOJO 
• – Slingo Casino 
• – Prime Casino 
• – Play Jango 
• – Heart Bingo 

The end of mixed-product bonuses: 

The new UKGC bonus rules for 2026 also ban “mixed product promotions”. These bonuses cover both casino and sports betting, and require activity in one to unlock an offer in the other. 

For example: “Wager £50 on sports and unlock 25 free spins on Sweet Bonanza”. 

The new rules basically mean one category, one bonus. If the qualifying action is to wager £5 on slots, the reward must be for casino play, either free spins, a deposit match or cashback. 

Sites can still give a general bonus, such as a deposit match (usually 100% up to £100) which you are free to use on both sports and casino. 

For example: “Deposit £10, Get £10 to use on anything” is still legal as long as the player has unrestricted choice on where to spend the bonus.

How to spot a non-compliant bonus: 

These will almost always be offered by an unlicensed online casino, which you should avoid playing at. Just some of the things to look out for include: 

• Check the playthrough: Does it say 20x, 30x or 40x? If yes, it’s a red flag.
• Check the “bundle”: Are they trying to “cross-sell” you into a different game type to get the bonus? If so, it’s an illegal bonus. 
• Check the licence: Is the UKGC logo in the footer clickable and valid? If not, it’s an illegal site and you must avoid it. 
• 
  To be clear. If a site is still offering 40x wagering in mid-2026, they aren’t just “behind the times” – they’re likely an unlicensed “black market” site where your money is not protected.
  

In 2026, transparency is the new currency. The days of ‘hidden’ bonus math are over. If a site offers more than 10x wagering, they are likely operating outside UKGC jurisdiction, and your consumer rights disappear the moment you click ‘deposit’.

So don’t and instead play at any of the licensed, reputable and trustworthy online casinos listed on Comparasino. 

A quick take from Martyn: 

While some operators fear the 10x cap will reduce the size of bonuses, I believe we’re entering a ‘quality over quantity’ era. 

I’d always rather have a £10 bonus I can actually cash out than a £500 bonus with a monster wagering requirement that’s almost mathematically impossible to clear.