From 30 September 2026, British remote gambling systems must offer a fixed-period gross deposit limit, call that control a deposit limit, and give it at least equal prominence to any other financial limit. Net deposit, stake and loss limits may still be offered.
The change is the second phase of the Gambling Commission's revised Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standard 12. This update explains what the final wording requires, what remains optional and which product, data and customer-journey checks operators should complete before the deadline.
What changes on 30 September 2026?
The Gambling Commission's implementation extension notice identifies three headline changes. Operators must offer gross deposit limits, only gross deposit limits may use the name “deposit limit”, and gross deposit limits must receive at least equal prominence when other financial limits are available.
The full RTS 12 wording effective from 30 September applies to all gambling covered by the standard except subscription lotteries. The requirement is aimed at the gambling system, so implementation reaches account logic, deposits, limit-setting interfaces, customer communications and audit evidence.
The Commission extended the second-phase deadline from 30 June to 30 September after feedback about the technical development required. It also warned operators to disregard offline copies of the annex downloaded before 22 May 2026 because an earlier version contained small errors.
What is a gross deposit limit?
A gross deposit limit restricts the amount a customer deposits into an account over a defined duration. Withdrawals do not reduce the amount already counted toward that limit. If a customer has deposited £100 during the relevant period, a later £40 withdrawal does not turn the gross deposited amount into £60.
That accounting boundary is what separates gross and net deposit controls. The Commission's proposal 1 response says the gross option must be available as a minimum. It does not say every customer must select one, and it does not require operators to remove other types of limit.
RTS 12 requires the limit to operate at least at account level. Product or channel limits may also be available, but the interface should make clear whether a control covers the whole account or only one part of it.
Gross, net, stake and loss limits compared
The labels describe different counters. They should not be presented as interchangeable tools.
| Role | What it means | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Gross deposit limit | All deposits into the account during the defined period, without subtracting withdrawals. | Fixed period, reset point, account scope and every deposit route included. |
| Net deposit limit | Deposits minus withdrawals during the stated period. | Withdrawal treatment, pending transactions, reset method and plain-language explanation. |
| Stake limit | The amount staked on gambling or specified products during the period. | Settled and unsettled wagers, voids, product scope and timing. |
| Loss limit | Stakes minus winnings or returns during the period. | Definition of returns, bonuses, voids, settlement timing and product scope. |
| Operator restriction | A control applied by the operator under its risk, compliance or safer-gambling processes. | Which customer-set and operator-set control is more restrictive and how conflicts are handled. |
The proposal 3 response places net deposit, stake and loss limits in implementation guidance as additional choices. Their availability does not remove the mandatory gross option.
Naming and equal prominence
From the effective date, only a limit matching the RTS gross definition may be called a deposit limit. A net deposit control can still be offered, but its label and explanation must not make it appear to be the required gross control. The Commission adopted this position in its proposal 2 response.
Equal prominence is a presentation rule with practical design consequences. The gross option cannot be hidden below an optional limit, placed behind extra navigation or visually reduced so another choice becomes the obvious route. The Commission's financial-limits blog says the reverse also applies: operators are not required to hide other forms of limit.
Teams should test desktop, mobile web and native-app journeys separately. Equal prominence can disappear when a two-column desktop selector collapses into a mobile accordion or when saved-account settings use a different component from onboarding.
Fixed periods and simultaneous limits
Gross deposit limits must be offered over fixed time frames. RTS 12 says the available durations must include 24 hours, 7 days and one month. The customer must be told the start and end points, because a fixed period may reset on a common calendar boundary or on a date and time linked to when the limit was set.
Other financial limits may use fixed or rolling time frames. The Commission clarified that flexibility in May 2026. A product should not copy the gross-limit reset logic into every other control without checking the chosen definition and customer explanation.
When a customer sets simultaneous time frames, the most restrictive result must apply. The Commission gives a daily £10 and weekly £100 example: the system may allow no more than £10 per day and therefore no more than £70 across seven days. The relevant calculation is the combined restriction, not simply the lowest number displayed.
What happens when a limit is reached or changed?
The system must prevent further deposits once a deposit limit is reached. Depositing can resume when the defined period restarts or after the customer completes a valid increase process. A customer-led increase needs a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours and positive confirmation after that period.
A reduction must take effect immediately unless a technical failure prevents it. If automation fails, the customer should be told when the reduction will apply. These state changes need durable timestamps, clear status values and evidence that an old value was not silently restored by another channel.
This is a PAM and payments problem as much as a front-end task. The operator should confirm that card deposits, bank payments, open-banking flows, mobile payment routes and any manual adjustment classified as a deposit all reach the same authoritative counter before funds become available.
What was already required from October 2025?
The September change sits on top of a first phase that took effect on 31 October 2025. The Commission required operators to prompt customers to set a financial limit during registration or at first deposit, provide free-text entry, apply limits at account level, link directly to the facility from the homepage and deposit screens, and reduce navigation friction.
The first phase also added periodic prompts. Active customers with a limit should be prompted at least every six months to review account and transaction information. Existing active customers without a limit must be prompted to review that choice at least annually.
The second phase does not restart that work. It changes the required option, terminology and presentation within the existing financial-limit journey. Release plans should therefore test the full current RTS 12, not only the new gross counter.
Operator implementation checklist
- Inventory every financial-limit label, explanation, endpoint, database field and customer message across all brands and channels.
- Confirm that a gross deposit counter covers the whole account and every deposit route without subtracting withdrawals.
- Offer fixed periods including 24 hours, 7 days and one month, with explicit start and end points.
- Apply the most restrictive result when several customer limits or operator restrictions overlap.
- Block further deposits when the gross limit is reached and test concurrency, retries, reversals and delayed payment notifications.
- Enforce the 24-hour increase flow and immediate reductions, including back-office and support actions.
- Compare visual prominence and navigation depth for every limit type on desktop and mobile.
- Retain screenshots, test cases, version records and timestamps that show what the customer saw and what the system enforced.
The BETTIMES transaction-monitoring explainer maps adjacent event and escalation controls. The PAM explainer explains where account state, wallet logic and external services meet.
What the rule does not replace
A customer-selected deposit limit is not an affordability decision and does not certify that a level is safe for that person. The financial risk assessment update covers a separate British process. Source of funds and source of wealth answer different evidential questions again.
The change also does not replace KYC, AML controls, self-exclusion, customer interaction or operator restrictions. Several controls may act on one account at the same time. System design should preserve their separate purpose while enforcing the most restrictive relevant state.
Market scope matters too. These are Great Britain remote technical requirements. A site claim should still be matched to the legal entity, licence activity and hostname using the Great Britain remote casino licence guide and the general licence verification method.
Frequently asked questions
When do the new UK gross deposit limit rules take effect?
The Gambling Commission says the second-phase RTS 12 changes take effect on 30 September 2026. The original date was 30 June 2026, but the regulator granted more implementation time in May. Operators should use the corrected annex published on 22 May 2026 rather than an older offline copy.
Do operators have to replace net deposit limits?
No. Operators may keep or add net deposit limits, stake limits and loss limits. They must also offer the required gross deposit limit. The gross option must receive at least equal prominence, and only a limit that counts gross deposits under the RTS definition may be labelled a deposit limit.
Do withdrawals restore room under a gross deposit limit?
No. A gross deposit limit counts amounts deposited during its defined period without subtracting withdrawals. A net deposit limit performs that subtraction and is a different optional control. Interfaces should explain the distinction before selection so a customer understands what activity will move each counter.
Which time periods must a gross deposit limit include?
The system must offer periods that include 24 hours, 7 days and one month. Gross deposit limits must use fixed time frames, with start and end points made clear. Optional financial limits may use fixed or rolling time frames if their calculation and reset method are explained.
Is a deposit limit the same as a financial risk assessment?
No. A deposit limit is a customer-led budgeting control under RTS 12. A financial risk assessment is a separate process triggered under the relevant British rules and thresholds. Neither control removes wider duties involving customer interaction, identity verification, AML review, source evidence or self-exclusion.
The position before the deadline
The 30 September change creates one consistent minimum: a fixed-period gross deposit limit called a deposit limit and displayed at least as prominently as other financial controls. The implementation burden lies in accurate accounting, shared account state, clear language and reproducible evidence, not in adding one selector to a settings page.