Customer funds protection

Customer funds protection: what the rule covers

When you deposit at an online casino, your money sits with the operator until you stake it or withdraw it. Most of the time that raises no issue. The question customer funds protection answers is narrower: if the business became insolvent, would that money be ring-fenced for you, or would it be treated like any other company asset and shared among creditors?

The Gambling Commission doesn't force every operator to protect balances in the same way. Instead, it requires each one to choose a level, describe how it achieves it, and tell you clearly. The Commission's guide to what happens to your money if a gambling business goes bust (opens in a new tab) explains the three levels for players. It is one of the consumer protections listed on our UK rules hub, and it applies to every operator holding a remote gambling licence for British customers.

The three levels of customer funds protection

The Commission's pages on medium protection (opens in a new tab) and high protection (opens in a new tab) go into each arrangement. One caveat runs through all of them: simply keeping customer money in a separate bank account does not, on its own, mean you will get it back. What matters is the legal structure around that account, such as a trust with an independent trustee.

A ‘not protected’ rating doesn't mean a casino is unsafe or unlicensed. It is a statement about insolvency only. A large, well-funded operator can still choose that level.

Which money counts as customer funds

The rating applies to customer funds, and the Commission's guidance defines what that includes. It is broader than just the cash you paid in.

That last row matters for anyone using a deposit match bonus. The Commission's list doesn't mention bonus money still locked behind wagering, so how a casino treats it is a matter for its terms. Your own deposit balance is a different story: it has to be shown separately from bonus money and can be withdrawn at any time, as our page on withdrawing with a bonus active explains.

How casinos must tell you: LCCP 4.2.1

Licence condition 4.2.1 in the LCCP sets out the disclosure duty. The text of LCCP 4.2.1 (opens in a new tab) requires operators to state in their terms:

• which rating applies to customer funds;
• the level of protection that rating gives;
• how that protection is achieved, for example through a trust or insurance.

Customers must acknowledge this information before their first deposit is used. In practice it usually appears as a statement during sign-up or before the first deposit that you have to tick or accept. It is easy to click past, which is why it pays to look for it again in the terms afterwards.

The six-month reminder for unprotected funds

From 31 October 2025, operators whose customer funds are rated not protected must remind customers at least every six months. The reminder has to state the customer's balance, and the customer must acknowledge it.

The idea is to stop a one-off tick box at sign-up being the only time anyone thinks about it. A reminder showing ‘your balance of £640 is not protected if we become insolvent’ puts the risk in pounds, which is the clearest prompt to withdraw money you don't plan to use soon.

What happens if an online casino goes bust

The rating decides your position if an operator does fail. With high protection, the trustee holds the money for customers, so it should be returned through the trust arrangements. With medium protection, insurance or similar safeguards should help, but the outcome depends on the details. With no protection, you join the queue of creditors and may get back only part of your balance, or none.

Our question page on what happens if an online casino goes bust covers the practical steps. The short version: the less you leave in an account, the less you have exposed, whatever the rating.

Your other money rights at a UK casino

Customer funds protection only deals with insolvency. Day to day, other rules protect your balance while the casino is trading normally.

• Withdraw when you like. You can withdraw at any time without unreasonable delay or restriction, and you don't have to accept payment in instalments. See our guide on how to withdraw.
• No withdrawal caps on your deposit balance. The Commission gives ‘You may withdraw up to £50 per day and up to £500 per week’ as an example of a prohibited term.
• Un-staked deposits stay yours. Casinos can't have terms letting them confiscate money you deposited but never staked, except to meet a general regulatory obligation.
• No reversing withdrawals. Once you ask for a withdrawal, the casino must not offer you the option to cancel it and play on; our page on pending withdrawals explains the rule.
• Fair fees only. Any withdrawal fee must be disclosed before you deposit and can't exceed the direct cost; withdrawing your full deposit balance can't be charged. Our withdrawal fees page covers fees in more detail.
• Dormant accounts. Deposit-balance money can't be confiscated for inactivity. A reasonable fee is allowed only once an account is dormant, must be in the terms, and needs a reminder at least 30 days ahead; the casino should first try to return the balance to your last payment method.

If any of these are breached, the complaints and ADR process is the route to put it right.

Why an idle casino balance costs more than you think

There is a second, quieter risk to leaving money in an account: it is easy to play it back. Every game has a house edge, so each pound re-staked loses a little on average. That is one reason the Commission banned reverse withdrawals: once you ask to cash out, you can't be offered the chance to cancel and play on.

Those are averages. A real session could leave more or wipe the balance entirely; the maths of gambler's ruin shows that playing a balance down at a negative edge tends to end at zero given enough time. Withdrawing winnings you want to keep removes both the insolvency risk and the replay risk. Our RTP explainer shows how the edge is calculated.

How to check and protect your casino balance

1. Find the casino's funds protection statement in its terms and conditions; search the page for ‘protection’ or ‘customer funds’.
2. Note which of the three ratings it uses and how it says the protection works.
3. Confirm the operator on the Gambling Commission's public register, using our guide on how to check a licence.
4. Decide on a maximum balance you are happy to leave in the account, and withdraw anything above it.
5. Withdraw winnings you want to keep promptly, using a method with known timings; our withdrawal times page compares them.
6. Set a deposit limit so the amount going in stays planned, not reactive.

Timeline of customer funds and balance rules

Funds protection and our partner casinos

We haven't checked which funds protection rating each partner uses, so read its terms; it must show you the rating before your first deposit is used. All three below are licensed by the Commission. Their welcome offers are slot offers, and the spins don't change anything about how your balance is protected. 18+ and terms apply.

• Coral (LC International Limited, 54743): new players, offer runs 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027. Deposit and bet £10+ on slots for 100 free spins on selected games at 10p each; accept within 48 hours, valid 7 days, no wagering on winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify.
• PlayOJO (Skill On Net Limited, 39326): new UK customers outside Northern Ireland; first deposit of at least £10 brings 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each. No wagering, cash winnings, can't be combined, designated offer link only.
• Ladbrokes (LC International Limited, 54743): new customers who deposit and spend £10+ on slots get 50 free spins a day for 10 days, up to 500, 10p each on selected games. Claim by 23:59 daily; valid 7 days; no wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits are excluded.

Coral and Ladbrokes are run by the same company, so you may not be able to open new accounts at both. Our PlayOJO casino review covers its payments and withdrawals.

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.