Following an announcement last month, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has begun to consult on the new deposit limitations.
The UKGC added rules for license holders to make sure clients are setting deposit limits on their online spending to the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), which were part of the Gambling Review White Paper.
The modifications, which are scheduled to take effect on October 31st, are intended to provide customers greater autonomy over how they manage their gambling expenditures when they place bets with an online operator by allowing them to independently set and maintain deposit limits.
To make that possible, the UKGC has directed all online gambling companies to get ready for the deadline by creating their own policies, which would mandate that new clients establish a deposit cap prior to the initial payment being made to their account.
With the new operator controls making it easy to review and adjust the desired deposit threshold, existing customers will also have the option to limit their spending. Online licensees must send out reminders every six months.
However, the UKGC clarified that recent operator activity may have muddied the precise understanding of deposit restrictions.
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Some online gaming sites have implemented “net deposit limits,” where withdrawal amounts are also taken into consideration, the regulator noted.
An illustration of this would be if a customer had a weekly deposit cap of £20 and took out £10, increasing the cap to £30. The UKGC further stated that this would cause needless confusion among consumers.
The regulator actually noted that a series of complaints from worried consumers during the January–December 2024 period alerted it to the possible problems arising from net deposit limits.
Others said that net deposit limitations are undercutting the very concept of having a limit, while others were unhappy because the practice was “potentially unfair and misleading.”
Thus, the new consultation is seeking feedback on how deposit restrictions ought to be specified and conveyed to clients.
“It has become evident from industry and consumer contacts, as well as from responses to the initial consultation for these changes, that certain operators are altering their interpretations of financial limits, particularly deposit limits,” the consultation stated.
Financial constraints referred to as “net” deposit limits, in our opinion, would not fit the meaning of “deposit limits” put forth in our original consultation.
“Although we believe that “net” deposit limits would not fit the definition of “deposit limits” put forth in the initial consultation, we are opting to further discuss this matter to ensure clarity rather than putting the initial consultation proposals into effect and pursuing this as a compliance matter.”
Twenty questions make up the consultation, which examines the precise language on deposit limits from the Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards (RTS) framework and solicits recommendations on how to make it clearer. The survey is open to respondents until April 30.
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