How to set deposit limits

How to set deposit limits in five minutes

A deposit limit caps how much money you can put into a gambling account over a set period. It is the simplest and most widely used safer gambling tool, and on every site licensed in Great Britain it is free, easy to find and quick to set.

1. Log in and open the account menu. Look for limits, safer gambling or responsible gambling. UK rules require a clear link from the homepage and the deposit page.
2. Choose deposit limits and pick a period: daily (24 hours), weekly (7 days) or monthly.
3. Type your chosen amount. Sites must let you enter your own figure rather than picking from suggested amounts.
4. Confirm. The site should tell you when the limit takes effect.
5. Repeat on every gambling account you hold, because each limit only covers that one operator.

What UK rules say about deposit limits

The Gambling Commission's remote technical standard on financial limits, RTS 12 (opens in a new tab), sets out what every licensed online operator must provide. Since 31 October 2025, operators have had to prompt you to set a financial limit before your first deposit. Setting a limit is the default choice, and if you decline you have to confirm that before you can deposit or play. The Commission explained the change in its news on the new deposit limit rules (opens in a new tab).

• Limits must be available at account level and offered over 24 hours, 7 days and 1 month.
• You type any amount you like; pre-filled suggested figures are not allowed.
• Links to the limit tools must appear on the homepage and the deposit pages.
• Reductions take effect immediately unless a technical failure prevents it.
• Increases happen only at your request, after a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours, and only once you confirm.
• Customers with limits are prompted to review them at least every 6 months; those without limits at least every 12 months.

Only gross deposit limits, which count every deposit regardless of withdrawals, may now be called deposit limits. Operators had until 30 September 2026 to offer them, after the Commission extended the original 30 June 2026 deadline, as its blog on customer-led financial limits (opens in a new tab) describes. Our guide to the remote technical standards covers the wider rulebook.

Daily, weekly and monthly deposit limit periods

You can set one period or combine them. When periods overlap, the strictest limit applies, which often means you can deposit less than the larger figure suggests.

A monthly limit suits people paid monthly, because it lines up with the budget. A daily limit is useful if the risk is one long, heated session. Many people use both: a monthly ceiling plus a smaller daily cap to stop the month's budget going in one night.

Choosing the right deposit limit amount

Start with your monthly income and take away essentials: rent or mortgage, bills, food, travel, debt repayments and savings. Gambling money should come only from what is left, and only a share of it. Our guide to setting a gambling budget works through this with examples.

It helps to know what play really costs. The average loss on a bet is the stake multiplied by the house edge. The figures below use standard game maths and assume a steady pace, so they are averages; any single session can be much better or much worse because of variance.

Notice that the average cost depends on total money staked, not on deposits. Winnings re-staked are still staked, so a £50 deposit can easily turn over several hundred pounds in bets. That is why the limit should reflect money you are fully prepared to lose, rather than an estimate of losses.

Lowering or raising a deposit limit

UK rules deliberately make the two directions work differently.

Lowering a limit

A reduction applies immediately. If a technical fault delays it, the operator should tell you when it will take effect. There is no reason to wait: if you feel a limit is too high, cut it now.

Raising a limit

An increase only happens if you ask for it, and then only after a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours. After that wait you must confirm the request again before the new figure applies. The pause is designed to separate the decision from the moment. If you find yourself wanting to raise a limit during or straight after a losing session, that is a sign to leave it where it is; our page on chasing losses explains why the urge is so strong. The glossary entry on the cool-off idea gives more background.

Deposit limits compared with other money and time limits

Deposit limits are the required minimum, but many operators offer extra controls. Check your account's limits page for which ones are available.

Our glossary explains a loss limit, a session limit and a net loss in more detail. Note that slots also carry legal stake caps of £5 a spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for those aged 18 to 24, covered on our slot stake limits page.

What happens when you hit your deposit limit

Once you reach the limit, further deposits are blocked until the period resets or until a requested increase has gone through its cooling-off period and been confirmed. You can keep playing with any balance already in the account, and you can still withdraw. Our answer on what happens when a deposit limit is reached covers the detail.

Hitting the limit is the tool doing its job. It is a natural point to log off rather than look for another site with fresh room, and our guide on when to stop a session offers other good stopping points.

When a deposit limit is not enough

Limits work well for people who are in control and want to stay there. If you keep hitting them, want to raise them often, or move between sites to get round them, it may be time for a firmer step.

• Take a time-out of 24 hours to six weeks.
• Register with GAMSTOP through our GAMSTOP guide to exclude from every licensed site.
• Switch on a bank gambling block.
• Read our page on the signs of problem gambling.
• Call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, free and 24/7.

Operators also have safeguards of their own. Under the Commission's financial vulnerability check rule (LCCP 3.4.4) (opens in a new tab), they check public records for signs of serious financial difficulty once your deposits minus withdrawals pass £150 in a rolling 30 days. Our page on financial risk checks explains what that does and does not involve. Every tool is listed on our safer gambling hub.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.