Customer interaction rules in gambling

Customer interaction rules in gambling: LCCP 3.4.3 in plain English

Customer interaction is the regulator's name for the conversations, nudges and interventions a gambling business must make when someone's play suggests they may be getting into trouble. The rule is social responsibility code provision 3.4.3 in the Commission's Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice. Social responsibility code provisions carry the same force as licence conditions, which is why failures can lead to large penalties.

The full text of LCCP 3.4.3 (opens in a new tab) asks operators for three things working together:

1. Identify customers who may be experiencing, or at risk of, gambling harm, using a range of indicators.
2. Act in a timely and proportionate way once an indicator appears.
3. Evaluate whether that action made a difference, and change course if it did not.

The duty applies from the moment an account is opened, not after a customer has been playing for months. It belongs to a family of protections on our UK rules hub, and it links closely to the financial vulnerability check, which adds a public-record signal once net deposits pass £150 in 30 days.

The seven kinds of harm indicator operators must watch

The code names categories of indicator rather than a rigid checklist, so each operator builds its own model. The categories themselves are fixed. The examples in the right-hand column are our own illustrations of the sort of thing each category can capture, not wording from the code.

None of these on its own proves harm. The point is that a pattern across several of them should prompt a response. A customer who mentions in a support chat that they are trying to win back their rent money has given a much clearer signal than one who simply had a large deposit on payday.

Why time spent matters: the pounds behind the indicators

Time spent is an indicator because cost rises with every game played. Expected loss is simply total stake multiplied by the house edge, so the number of games per hour drives the bill. UK rules set minimum game lengths: 2.5 seconds per slot spin and 5 seconds per round for other online casino games, as our game speed rules page explains.

Nobody plays every game the instant the timer allows, so real hourly costs are usually lower, and any single session can end well above or below the average. But the table shows why a four-hour session at the small hours is something an operator should notice: at £1 a spin on a 96% RTP slot, the average cost of four hours at full speed is £230.40. Our cost per hour guide works through more games.

Since 17 January 2025 online casino games must also show your net spend and time played in real time, so you can see the same numbers the operator is watching.

What a casino must do once it spots a sign of harm

The code says action must be timely and proportionate. Timely means the response should come while it can still help, not weeks later in a monthly review. Proportionate means the strength of the response should match the strength of the signal. The code does not prescribe a fixed ladder, so the form of interaction varies between operators.

In broad terms, a mild early signal might justify a message pointing to reality checks and limit tools, while a stronger pattern might justify a conversation, a request for information, enforced limits or, in serious cases, closing the account. The evaluation step then asks whether the customer's play changed. If a message was ignored and spending kept climbing, the operator is expected to escalate rather than tick the box and move on.

Strong indicators of harm: marketing and bonuses must stop

Paragraph 10 of the code, in force since 12 February 2023, deals with the clearest cases. Where there are strong indicators of harm, the operator must stop marketing to that customer and must not let them take up new bonuses. The logic is simple: a promotion is designed to encourage more play, which is the opposite of what someone showing serious signs of harm needs.

This dovetails with the Commission's 2026 promotion rules, which cap wagering at 10 times the bonus. Our page on UK casino bonus rules covers those, and the wider advertising rules explain how direct marketing consent works for everyone else.

Automated decisions and your right to contest them

Large operators handle millions of bets, so much of the monitoring is automated. The code allows that, with safeguards. Strong indicators must be acted on promptly, even if that means an automated step such as a block on new deposits. But any automated action has to be reviewed by a person, and customers must be able to contest an automated decision.

If your account has been restricted and you think the system got it wrong, ask support to confirm that a person has reviewed the decision and what information would help. If you are still unhappy after that, the operator's complaints process and, later, alternative dispute resolution are open to you.

Customer interaction failures in UKGC enforcement

Most of the Commission's penalties on online operators between 2024 and 2026 cite social responsibility failures, and customer interaction is the recurring theme. A few examples from the Commission's own announcements:

The Paddy Power Betfair settlement (opens in a new tab) and the Petfre settlement (opens in a new tab) are both cited by the Commission as customer interaction cases. Penalties like these show that the rule is enforced, not just written down.

How customer interaction links to other UK gambling rules

Customer interaction is the general duty; several specific rules feed into it or sit beside it.

• Financial vulnerability checks add a public-record signal once net deposits pass £150 in a rolling 30 days.
• Deposit limit prompts have required operators, since 31 October 2025, to ask you to set a financial limit before your first deposit.
• VIP rules require operators to confirm a customer's spend is affordable and sustainable before offering high-value perks; see our guide to VIP schemes.
• Self-exclusion through GAMSTOP obliges operators to refuse service and stop marketing.
• Game design rules slow play down and show net spend and time on screen.

What customer interaction rules don't do

The rule protects, but it has edges that are worth knowing.

• It doesn't decide how much you are allowed to gamble. There is no set monthly figure at which play must stop.
• It doesn't give one operator a view of your accounts elsewhere, so three moderate accounts may look fine individually.
• It doesn't replace your own controls. Tools you set yourself, such as time-outs, act instantly and do not depend on anyone's model.
• It doesn't cover unlicensed sites, which offer no Commission protection at all.
• It doesn't apply in Northern Ireland, which is outside the Commission's remit.

If a casino gets in touch about your play

An interaction can feel awkward, but it is a protection working as intended. A practical way to respond:

1. Check the contact is genuine by logging in directly rather than replying to an unexpected link or call.
2. Answer honestly. The operator is trying to judge whether its next step should be light or firm.
3. Look at your net spend over the past month; most accounts show deposits and withdrawals in the history section.
4. Decide whether a deposit limit, reality check or break would help, and set it yourself straight away.
5. If the operator restricts the account and you disagree, ask for a manual review and the reason in writing.
6. If the conversation touched a nerve, use our list of gambling support services or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.

Timeline of customer interaction rules

Customer interaction at our partner casinos

Each partner below holds a Gambling Commission licence, so LCCP 3.4.3 binds them in full; the code does not let us compare how each one applies it, so we don't rank them on it. Their safer-gambling tools are covered on pages such as PlayOJO safer gambling tools. The welcome offers are for slots. 18+ and terms apply.

• Coral (LC International Limited, account 54743): new players from 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027 who deposit and bet £10+ on slots get 100 free spins on selected games, 10p each, to accept within 48 hours and use within 7 days, with no wagering on winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards are excluded.
• PlayOJO (Skill On Net Limited, 39326): new UK customers outside Northern Ireland making a first deposit of at least £10 get 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each, no wagering, winnings paid in cash. Not combinable with other offers; designated link only.
• Ladbrokes (LC International Limited, 54743): new customers who deposit and spend £10+ on slots get 50 free spins a day for the first 10 days, up to 500, at 10p each on selected games. Claim by 23:59 each day; spins last 7 days; no wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits are excluded.

Coral and Ladbrokes share an operator, so holding new accounts at both may not be possible.

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.