Guidance

Online gambling promotions: advice for gamblers

Updated 29 August 2018

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-gambling-promotions-advice-for-gamblers/online-gambling-promotions-advice-for-gamblers

Three large online gambling firms have agreed they will not use unfair terms and conditions in their online promotions.

This follows work by the CMA to ensure gamblers are treated fairly by online gambling firms.

The CMA and the Gambling Commission expect all online gambling firms to review their terms and practices for fairness and, if necessary, change them.

Online gambling - what to look out for

Why this is important

We believe that unfair terms and conditions are being used across the £4.7 billion online gambling sector and have the potential to impact millions of people who gamble online.

Businesses must by law ensure their terms and conditions are fair and transparent. Gambling companies can’t enforce unfair terms.

What you should expect of gambling companies

  • The terms and conditions of promotions should be clear and given to you in good time

  • You should know what to expect and have the information you need to properly decide if a promotion is right for you

  • You should be free to walk away from online play at any time, and keep what is left of your deposit and the winnings you’ve earned from play with your deposit

  • Gambling sites must make it clear if you are playing with your own money, or with bonus funds that are subject to more restrictions

  • Any restrictions on how you can play with bonus funds, for example, any restrictions on the size of bets, must be made clear to you

  • You cannot be required to take part in publicity

  • If the sites offer a free bet, they can’t change the deal once you have started playing

  • Online gambling companies shouldn’t confiscate your money because you haven’t logged on or played on their site for a particular period of time, but they can charge cost reflective fees after 12 months of inactivity as long as these are clear and they attempt to return your money first. Online gambling companies are obliged to confirm your identity but they can’t confiscate your money where you have not provided ID documents within a particular period of time

What to do if you think you’ve been treated unfairly

  • Online gambling companies have a process for dealing with complaints, and you should contact them first if you don’t think you’ve been treated fairly

  • If you still have a complaint about your experience when gambling with a firm, they must have an independent person to look at your problem and try and find a solution. This is known as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

  • Details of the company’s complaint process, ADR provider and how to contact them should be on their website

  • You can also tell the Gambling Commission, contact Citizens Advice or seek independent legal advice

See the CMA’s latest work on online gambling

These materials do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such.

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