No-deposit bonuses face a 10x cap in Britain and planned bans elsewhere

No-deposit offers, the free spins or small bonus credited just for registering, now sit under Britain's 10x wagering cap, in force since 19 January 2026. Advertising rules already require the key terms to be shown with the offer, and several other markets restrict sign-up bonuses outright or plan to. That makes the terms of a no-deposit offer more constrained than they used to be, even if nobody publishes reliable data on how the amounts themselves have changed.

A no-deposit bonus is a promotion credited without the player paying anything in: typically a set number of free spins on named slots or a small balance of bonus money. Because the operator recovers nothing up front, these offers usually come with the tightest terms of any bonus type. This article looks at what regulators and advertising bodies have actually said about those terms, market by market.

The UK wagering cap covers free offers too

The Gambling Commission announced on 26 March 2025 that it would cap wagering requirements at 10 times and ban incentives that mix different gambling products. After a delay from 19 December 2025, both rules took effect on 19 January 2026. The licence text limits any requirement to play through bonus funds to a maximum of 10 times, and it is not restricted to deposit bonuses, so winnings from no-deposit spins held as bonus money fall under the same ceiling.

The mixed-product ban matters for sign-up packages that bundle, for example, a free bet with casino spins. An incentive may not include more than one product type among betting, casino, bingo and lottery, unless the customer can freely choose, on an unrestricted basis, which product to use it on. The Commission said on 12 December 2025 that terms should be clear, easily accessible, fair and open.

What UK ads must say about a free offer

Advertising is regulated separately by the ASA under the CAP Code. Its advice on free bets and bonuses says significant conditions, such as eligibility, deposit or wagering requirements and time limits, must be stated, and that an offer should not be called free if customers have to risk their own money. For online ads, full terms should be one click away.

A ruling on 31 July 2024 shows how strictly this is read. The ASA upheld a complaint about a William Hill search ad for a welcome bonus because an Apple Pay exclusion was not in the ad and appeared on the landing page only in small print that was easy to overlook. A general note that payment methods and restrictions applied was not enough.

This builds on earlier consumer-law action. On 1 February 2018 the Competition and Markets Authority announced undertakings from three operators, including commitments that restrictions on gameplay would be made clear and that vague terms could not be used to confiscate players' money.

The terms that decide a no-deposit offer's value

Five terms usually decide what a no-deposit offer is worth: the wagering on winnings, a maximum cashout, a maximum bet while wagering, the eligible games and a time limit. In Britain the first is now capped at 10x; the others are set by each operator and must be stated clearly. Our free spins guide explains each one.

The maximum cashout often matters most. It limits how much of any winnings can be withdrawn, whatever the balance after wagering. In the example below, a player turns a no-deposit bonus into 180 pounds, but a 50 pound cap means only 50 pounds can be withdrawn.

The wagering maths also applies. Winnings of 20 pounds from free spins at 10x means 200 pounds of stakes; at a 4 percent house edge that costs about 8 pounds on average. These are illustrative sums. Our bonus calculator does the same for any offer.

Markets that ban or limit sign-up bonuses

Netherlands. On 12 June 2026 the Dutch cabinet announced plans to ban online gambling advertising and bonuses, naming free play credit on opening an account as an example. That describes the typical no-deposit offer. It must still be written into legislation.

Spain. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs said on 5 August 2025 that welcome bonuses had been banned until April 2024, when the Supreme Court annulled several provisions of Royal Decree 958/2020, and that it had proposed an amendment to the Customer Service Act to prohibit them again. The law as published, Ley 10/2025 of 26 December, contains no gambling provisions.

Italy. Bonuses remain legal, but promotion of them is not. In June 2026 the regulator ADM told operators that bonuses are permitted under sector rules while promotions of an advertising nature are prohibited under the Dignity Decree's advertising ban, so bonuses may be described only in a purely informational way.

Sweden and Australia. Swedish licensees may give a bonus only at the first occasion a player plays. In Australia, where online casinos cannot be offered, licensed wagering providers already cannot offer a reward as an incentive to open an account.

What is confirmed and what is not yet known

• Confirmed: the GB 10x cap and mixed-product ban apply to all incentives from 19 January 2026; UK ads must state significant conditions; the Dutch cabinet plans to ban sign-up bonuses.
• Not yet known: the date and final wording of the Dutch ban, and whether Spain will try again to restrict welcome bonuses.
• Not claimed here: that no-deposit amounts have become smaller. We found no reliable market-wide data either way.

What it means for players

Treat a no-deposit offer as a free trial of a site, not as a way to win. On a GB-licensed site, check that wagering is 10x or lower, then read the maximum cashout and time limit before playing. For wider offers, see our bonuses hub.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Gambling Commission - Gambling promotions to be safer and simpler (26 March 2025, updated 24 July 2025)
2. Gambling Commission - LCCP condition 5.1.1 SR code
3. Gambling Commission blog - Socially responsible incentives: what operators need to know (12 December 2025)
4. ASA and CAP - Gambling, betting and gaming: free bets and bonuses
5. ASA ruling on WHG (International) Ltd t/a William Hill Online (31 July 2024)
6. GOV.UK, CMA - Gambling sector told to raise its game after CMA action (1 February 2018)
7. Rijksoverheid - Kabinet scherpt beleid online kansspelen flink aan (12 June 2026)
8. Ministerio de Consumo, CEC Spain - welcome bonuses and online gambling (5 August 2025)
9. BOE - Ley 10/2025, de 26 de diciembre
10. PressGiochi - ADM clarifies: bonuses allowed, advertising promotions prohibited (23 June 2026)
11. SBC News - ADM stands by Decree rules on bonus engagements (29 June 2026)
12. Spelinspektionen - Fragor och svar for aktorer
13. Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance - National Consumer Protection Framework