The UK gambling and iGaming sector moved steadily through 2025. There were no big shocks or sweeping reforms. Instead, the market kept growing while regulation continued to tighten.
International operators such as Bet MGM continued to enter the market, and the UK kept its position as a global benchmark for regulated online gambling. The market is seen as a best practice because the rules are clear, the oversight is strict, and operators know the standards are real.
Rather than rolling out major new reforms, the Gambling Commission focused on refining existing rules. It made clear that the post-White Paper phase is about fine-tuning rather than big structural change. It’s about tightening the edges of the system rather than rewriting it.
That approach continues into 2026. A new set of changes came into force on 19 January, and while they may sound technical at first, they significantly reshape how bonuses work and how operators can incentivise play. Here’s what’s actually changing and why it matters.
Mixed Incentives Are Banned
This is the headline change. As of January 19, operators can no longer offer bonuses that require players to move between different products to unlock rewards. That means you can’t unlock casino rewards by betting on sports, you can’t unlock free bets by playing slots, and you can’t mix products inside a single promotional structure.
The rule is simple: one action, one product, one reward. Every offer now has to stay in its own lane. Sportsbook or casino, never both.
In practical terms, this removes the familiar “bet £10 on football, get £20 casino bonus” model that has dominated sign-up pages for years. It also impacts how no-deposit casino offers for UK players are structured, with operators no longer able to tie free spins or bonus credits to sportsbook activity or cross-product tasks. If the bonus pushes players toward a second product, it’s no longer allowed.
The Commission’s reasoning is straightforward. Mixed bonuses confuse players, and confusion often leads to overspending.
Data shows players who move between products are more likely to chase losses and play longer than planned. Regulators view the change as a way to stop promotions that push players across multiple verticals at once.
Are there exceptions? Technically, yes. If a bonus does not steer players toward a specific product, it may still be permitted. But in reality, most mixed offers are disappearing.
The UKGC will judge how the incentive is structured, not how it is marketed, and even “choose free bets or free spins” menus are already being flagged as risky. As a result, most operators are removing anything that looks remotely mixed.
Lower Wagering Limits
The second big change caps bonus wagering at 10x. To put simply, a bonus can now only require up to ten times its value in wagering
That means if you get a £10 bonus, the most you can be asked to bet through is £100 before you can withdraw any winnings. No more 40x, 50x or 70x rollovers that feel impossible to finish.
This makes bonuses quicker to use, easier to understand, and safer for casual players who used to get stuck in long rollover cycles.t also forces operators to rethink offer structures, as high wagering requirements were often used to make bonuses seem bigger than they were.
The cap fits with the Commission’s focus on clarity and player protection. If a bonus feels impossible to clear, players either ignore it or take risks to chase it. Limiting wagering makes promotions fairer and more transparent.
Who This Affects
Operators feel the biggest impact and must update how they run promotions Mixed offers need to be removed, and sign-up bonuses, reloads, missions, and loyalty rewards need adjustments to keep sportsbook and casino promotions separate. It’s a careful reshaping of incentives rather than a total marketing rewrite.
Affiliates and media partners will also need to update content that references mixed offers, like landing pages, email campaigns, or creative assets. Any “bet X get casino Y” promotions will need replacing, but the focus is on clarity and compliance, not reinventing their whole approach.
For players, the changes mean simpler bonuses, less pressure to try products they hadn’t planned on, lower wagering requirements, and fewer confusing bundle offers. The trade-off is fewer flashy mixed promotions, but the ones that remain will be clearer, fairer, and easier to use.
Why This Matters Long-Term
This isn’t a one-off intervention. It fits the post-White Paper direction the Commission has been following since 2023, where the focus shifted from expanding the regulatory perimeter to refining how existing rules work in practice.
Expect continued tightening throughout 2026 and beyond, particularly around affordability checks, game design standards, and likely, more advertising restrictions.
The Commission continues to prioritise safer gambling over bigger bonuses. This philosophy shapes every recent update, from stake limits on slots to enhanced identity verification. The mixed incentives ban and wagering cap address specific areas where evidence showed players were at risk.
Operators and affiliates will need to adapt quickly. The UK market remains lucrative, but rising compliance requirements mean promotions, marketing, and retention strategies must be carefully reworked. Operators who see regulatory change as a framework for smarter offers, not an obstacle, will thrive.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
