Gambling cross-selling rules

What gambling cross-selling rules cover

Cross-selling means encouraging a customer of one product to try another, for example nudging a football bettor towards online slots. Many big UK brands run a sportsbook, a casino and sometimes bingo under one login, so the opportunity is obvious. The Gambling Commission has decided that, in gambling, this needs limits.

No single licence condition is titled ‘cross-selling’. Instead, three rules do the work: a ban on promotions that mix products, a requirement for separate marketing consent for each product, and a duty to stop marketing to people showing signs of harm. All three sit within the wider set of rules on our UK casino rules hub.

The mixed-product promotions ban since 19 January 2026

The headline cross-selling rule is the mixed-product promotions ban. From 19 January 2026, an incentive must not include more than one type of gambling product, the four types being betting, casino, bingo and lottery. The Commission announced the rule on 26 March 2025, alongside the 10x wagering cap, in its news article on gambling promotions becoming safer and simpler (opens in a new tab).

The rule now sits in the social responsibility code at LCCP 5.1.1 (opens in a new tab), which governs all incentives. The start date was originally 19 December 2025 and was moved to 19 January 2026 in July 2025, giving operators an extra month to change their offers.

In plain terms, ‘bet £10 on football and get 50 casino spins’ is no longer allowed, and nor is ‘play £20 of bingo to unlock a sports free bet’. Our page on casino versus sportsbook bonuses shows how the two kinds of offer now stand apart.

Cross-selling examples under the UK rules: allowed or banned?

These illustrations show how the rules apply to common offer designs. They are examples of structure, not real offers.

Marketing consent by product: the 1 May 2025 rule

The second cross-selling rule controls marketing rather than offers. Under LCCP 5.1.12 (opens in a new tab), in force since 1 May 2025, remote casino, betting and bingo operators must let new customers opt in separately to each product (betting, casino, bingo) and each channel (email, SMS, phone) at registration. Opt-out is the default, so ticking nothing means no direct marketing.

Existing customers were asked to confirm their preferences at their first log-in after the rule started. Post was dropped from the list of channels during consultation, and land-based gambling and lotteries are outside the rule for now. The start date had originally been 17 January 2025.

What this means in practice

Suppose you join a brand for its sportsbook and tick betting by email only. Under the rule, the operator should not send you casino emails, casino texts or casino calls. If later you decide you want casino news, you can change your preferences. Our page on marketing consent rules covers the detail, and casino email and SMS offers explains what such messages usually contain.

How to control which gambling products are marketed to you

1. Log in to your account and open the settings, preferences or ‘communication’ area.
2. Look for the product list: betting, casino and bingo should each have their own switches.
3. For each product, choose the channels you are happy with: email, SMS and phone are set separately.
4. Save your changes and note the date, in case you need to complain later.
5. If messages keep arriving for a product you turned off, reply asking the operator to stop and keep a copy.
6. If that does not work, use the operator’s complaints process; persistent breaches can be reported to the Gambling Commission.

The Commission’s page on how to stop gambling marketing texts and emails (opens in a new tab) sets out your options, and our guide to opting out of casino marketing shows where the settings sit at major brands.

Why regulators targeted gambling cross-selling

The Commission consulted on the mixed-product ban from 29 November 2023 to 21 February 2024. Its concern was that offers linking products can draw people from lower-intensity gambling, such as weekend football bets, towards faster, higher-intensity products such as online slots, where losses can build more quickly. Combined offers also made terms harder to follow, with different qualifying rules for each part.

The marketing consent rule grew from the government’s 2023 gambling white paper, which proposed giving customers more control over the direct marketing they receive. Both rules fit a wider shift towards simpler, single-purpose offers that the 10x wagering cap also reflects. The Autumn 2023 consultation response (opens in a new tab) sets out the Commission’s reasoning.

Cross-selling and customers showing signs of harm

The third rule is older but just as important. Under the customer interaction rules, operators must have systems to spot signs of gambling harm. Since 12 February 2023, where there are strong indicators of harm, marketing must stop and the customer must not be able to take up new bonuses.

In cross-selling terms, that means an operator cannot respond to a customer losing heavily on sport by tempting them with casino offers, even if the customer previously opted in to casino marketing. The harm rule overrides the consent. If you are receiving offers you feel are inappropriate, our guide to signs of problem gambling may help, and the time-out tool stops all play and marketing for a set period.

What the cross-selling rules mean at multi-product brands

The rules matter most at brands that run several products under one name. Coral and Ladbrokes, both operated by LC International Limited (Entain), offer sports betting and casino. Under the mixed-product ban, their casino welcome offers have to stand alone: Coral’s current offer, for example, asks new players to bet £10 on slots and rewards them with slot spins, so the qualifying play and the reward are both casino.

A worked example shows the difference. Under a pre-2026 style mixed offer, a £10 football bet could have released 50 casino spins at 10p, so £5 of spins. That design would now be banned. Under Coral’s single-product structure, £10 of slot play releases 100 spins at 10p, so £10 of spins on selected slots, with no wagering on the winnings. Our Coral vs Ladbrokes comparison sets the two Entain casino offers side by side.

What the gambling cross-selling rules do not cover

• Shared accounts. The rules target incentives and marketing, not the existence of one login or wallet across products.
• Separate offers. An operator can run a sports offer and a casino offer at the same time, provided each is self-contained.
• Land-based and lottery marketing. The per-product consent rule currently applies to remote betting, casino and bingo only.
• Post. Letters were dropped from the channels covered by the consent rule.

The Commission’s consultation response did not say explicitly whether the mixed-product ban was aimed at new or existing customers, but the code text applies to any incentive. Our pages on offers for existing customers and how casino promotions work look at ongoing promotions.

Gambling cross-selling rules: a timeline

Spotting a cross-selling breach and complaining

If you see an offer that mixes products, or receive marketing for a product you never opted in to, start with the operator. Use its complaints process and keep screenshots of the offer or message, with dates. The operator has 8 weeks to resolve a complaint before it must offer a free independent dispute resolution service.

The Commission does not resolve individual complaints, but you can still tell it about a suspected breach. Our guides to complaints and ADR and how to complain about a casino explain both routes.

Where to play: single-product casino offers

Both offers below were checked on 5 October 2026. Each is a pure casino incentive, with qualifying play and reward on the same product, as the rules require.

Coral Casino: new players aged 18+ who deposit and bet at least £10 on slots receive 100 free spins on selected games, each worth 10p. The spins must be claimed within 48 hours, last 7 days and pay winnings with no wagering attached, and the promotion is live until 1 February 2027 (it began on 1 October 2026). Deposits made with PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe, prepaid cards or certain debit cards are not eligible. Because Coral also runs a sportsbook, check your marketing preferences when you join.

PlayOJO: new UK customers aged 18+, excluding Northern Ireland, who deposit £10 or more for the first time get 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each, with winnings paid as cash and no wagering. It cannot be combined with other offers and only works through the designated link. Terms apply. Set a budget first, since slot play costs money over time.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set deposit limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.