UKGC survey reveals only 2.2% of casino players use time-out tools in 2025

In its second annual report in 2025, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) reported that only 2.2% of casino players in the UK had set reminders, limits, or time-outs to control the time spent gambling. The information that was reported was collected through the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) statistics, based on responses from individuals who had gambled within the previous 12 months.

According to the survey, 39.3% of the respondents who had gambled within the past 12 months were aware that such tools exist. As such, UKGC now believes that there’s a need to strike a balance between ensuring players are aware of support available to them (i.e., gambling management tools like time-outs) and the need to use such tools.

Usage of time-out tools in the previous years

Many UK players have been gambling at casinos not on GamStop due to their lenient self-exclusion limits. This could be one of the reasons why customer awareness and use of gambling management tools have remained very low in the past 3 years.

From January 2023 to December 2023, 38.9% of customers were aware of time-out tools. Still, only 2.7% of these customers had set reminders, limits, or a time-out to control the time spent gambling.

From January 2022 to December 2022, 35.2% of customers were reported to be aware of the existence of time-out tools, with 2.3% having set reminders, limits, or a time-out to control the time spent gambling in that year.

Awareness and usage of other gambling management tools in the UK

Alongside participation metrics, UKGC has increasingly sought to understand the use of safer gambling, including time-out tools, deposit/time limits, and self-exclusion. From January 2024 to December 2024, only 29% of the respondents were aware of the usage of self-exclusion tools like GamStop. Still, only 3.7% were reported to have self-excluded from gambling companies' websites (via GamStop), premises, or a specific product.

Of those who had asked their bank to block payments to gambling companies, 19.2% were aware that such an option was available. But only 1.4% had done so. Lastly, those who had taken a break from online websites without using a specific gambling management tool accounted for 5.6%, despite 31.1% being aware that such an option was available.

If we go back to November 2023, the Gambling Commission found out that nearly half (48 percent) of all respondents reported having ever used a gambling management tool. 64% said that they were aware of financial limits even before completing the online survey, with 23% reporting having used them in the past.

Out of all the tools surveyed, the 'account history online' tool was the most frequently used, with 22% reporting having used it in the previous 12 months. Additionally, 6% reported having used the tool more than 12 months ago. 72% of the respondents did not use the 'account history online' tool either because they were aware and chose not to use it, or didn't know it was available.

The UKGC introduces new deposit limit laws to strengthen consumer protection

Based on the UKGC survey released in October 2025, 52.0% of the respondents were aware they could set spend, loss, or deposit limits on the amount of money spent gambling. But only 4.7% had a set deposit limit or the amount they would spend on gambling. Following that report, the UKGC announced an update to deposit limit rules. The gambling commission aims to standardise how these rules work across online gambling platforms and provide clarity for consumers. The new rules will come into effect in June 2026.

Under the new rules, licensed operators must provide customers with the opportunity to set a ‘deposit limit’. The amount will be based solely on the amount the customer deposits into their gambling account over a specific period. And to avoid confusion, only this form of limit may be marketed or called a ‘deposit limit’. They will also be able to offer other limits, such as loss limits or withdrawal limits.

Moreover, gambling operators must prompt customers to establish a financial limit before making their first deposit, with an option to let all users review and alter their limits. Operators will be required to remind their customers every six months to review their transaction information so they can maintain control of their gambling spend. Lastly, players will get access to financial limit-setting facilities via a link on the homepage and deposit pages. Operators must process customer requests to lower their financial limits immediately.

Conclusion

Following the report, UKGC is currently exploring ways to increase both consumer awareness and uptake of gambling management tools. In that case, gambling operators and players based in the UK should expect further refinements to tools that help consumers manage their gambling.

This is because these findings have deepened the Gambling Commission’s understanding of the consequences of gambling and provided crucial insight into risk profiles among frequent gamblers, including in the land-based sector.