Commission Delays Deposit Limit Deadline Amid UK Affordability Discussions

(AsiaGameHub) –   UK betting firms have been granted additional time to prepare for changes related to deposit limits, as the deadline for rolling out new policies has been extended by three months.

The Gambling Commission’s recent statement arrives during an intense debate about gambling affordability in the UK, where the regulator has not yet decided on the timing or feasibility of introducing Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs).

This week, the regulator confirmed that the implementation date for the new deposit limit rules—first announced last October—has been shifted from 30 June 2026 to 30 September 2026.

Starting on that date, only gross deposit limits will be allowed for fixed time periods. Rolling and fixed time frames can be used for other types of limits.

Operators have three tasks to complete by 30 September:

• Provide gross deposit limits to their customers and re-add gross deposit limits to the options available to users
• Guarantee that gross deposit limits are labeled as “deposit limits” and ensure no other limit types use this term
• Present gross deposit limits with “at least equal visibility as other kinds of financial limits”

The Commission and Its Affordability Agenda

Affordability was a top topic of discussion during the 2020–2023 review of the 2005 Gambling Act. Debates over deposit limit rules and the concept of “affordability checks” frequently grew intense.

Upon the release of the review’s White Paper in April 2023, the government proposed establishing Finance Risk Checks—still commonly called “affordability checks,” though the Commission chooses not to use that phrase.

These checks are split into Vulnerability Checks (already in effect since February 2023) and FRAs (which the Commission has not yet rolled out, as noted earlier). The measures and their pilot programs have sparked significant controversy, leading to widespread debate and even resignations in recent months.

Through establishing more explicit rules for deposit limits, the Commission aims to let UK consumers have better control over their money while gambling.

The regulator may also be hoping that customers can avoid triggering a Vulnerability Check or a potential FRA (if the measure is eventually adopted) by proactively setting and adhering to deposit limits.

When the new rules were first announced last October, Helen Rhodes, the regulator’s Director of Major Policy Projects, commented that the Commission aimed to “empower consumers to have better awareness and control over their gambling activities.”