Guide

Online slot stake limits: £5 per spin, or £2 if you are 18 to 24

The maximum stake on online slots in Great Britain, who gets which limit, what a game cycle is and which games are not covered.

By Eleanor Hartley, editor · Checked on 1 November 2026

Online slots at GB-licensed casinos have a maximum stake of £5 per spin, or £2 if you are 18-24. The £5 limit has applied since 9 April 2025 and the £2 limit for younger adults since 21 May 2025. These slot stake limits cover online slots only, not roulette, blackjack, poker or other casino games.

18+ only. A stake limit caps each spin, not a session; the responsible gambling page covers deposit limits and other tools that cap the total.

The two limits and their start dates

Between 9 April and 21 May 2025 the £5 limit applied to all adults. From 21 May the lower limit began for customers aged 18 to 24. The Gambling Commission applies the limits as a condition on remote casino operating licences, so every licensed operator offering online slots to customers in Great Britain must follow them.

What a "game cycle" means

The Commission's guidance sets the limit per game cycle, not per click. A game cycle runs from the start of a game until all the money staked on it is lost or the winnings are made available to you. On a standard slot that is one spin, and the stake you choose for that spin is what the limit measures.

Games the limit covers, and games it does not

The rule applies to online slots: reel-based games. That includes Megaways titles, jackpot slots and slots with bonus features. It does not apply to roulette, blackjack, poker or other casino games, which have their own table limits set by the operator. So a casino may offer a roulette table with higher maximum bets while capping its slots at £5, and both are within the rules.

For hybrid formats such as Slingo, check the stake range shown in the game itself. The online slots guide covers slot types in more depth.

How the casino knows which limit applies

Every customer's date of birth is verified before they can deposit or play, under rules in force since 7 May 2019. That verified age tells the operator which limit to apply. If you are 24, the stake selector on a slot will not go above £2; when you turn 25, the higher limit becomes available. The ID verification guide explains the age check.

Bonus spins, bonus funds and the stake limit

The limit applies however a spin is paid for. Spins from your own balance and spins from a bonus both have to stay within £5, or £2 for 18 to 24 year olds. In practice bonus spins are usually set far below the limit, often at 10p, and many bonus terms add their own lower maximum bet while wagering. If a bonus allows a higher bet than the legal limit, the legal limit wins; if it allows less, the bonus rule applies and breaking it may cost you the bonus. Our guide to wagering requirements covers maximum bet clauses.

Other design rules on GB slots

The stake limit sits alongside earlier rules on how slots work in Great Britain. Since 31 October 2021 online slots must not spin faster than 2.5 seconds, must not offer autoplay or features such as turbo or slam stop, and must not celebrate a return equal to or below the stake. They must also show your total losses or wins and the time played during a session. The guide to slot results explains how these rules fit with RTP and volatility.

What the limit does and does not do for you

A cap of £5 a spin still allows large losses over a long session: 200 spins at £5 is £1,000 staked. The limit reduces the speed at which money can be lost on any single spin; it does not set a budget. Pair it with a deposit limit, a reality check and a clear sense of how long you intend to play. If you find yourself wishing the limit were higher to chase losses, that is a signal to take a break.