Net position display rule for slots

What the net position display rule for slots says

The rule sits in the Gambling Commission's Remote Technical Standards (opens in a new tab), the technical rulebook every online operator licensed for Great Britain must follow. Requirement 2E states that all gaming sessions must clearly display a customer's net position, in the currency of their account or product. The implementation guidance then defines net position as the total of all winnings minus the sum of all losses since the start of the session.

A companion requirement, 13C, says the elapsed time should be displayed for the whole gaming session. The guidance allows the clock to start either when the game is opened or once play begins, and it must count in seconds, minutes and hours. Both requirements appear in the Commission's summary of changes to the technical standards (opens in a new tab) published with its 2021 decision on online game design.

Put simply, the net position display rule for slots gives you two numbers that a reel game used to bury: how much money this session has cost or made you, and how long it has lasted. Both must be visible while you play, not tucked away in an account menu. The rule forms part of the wider online game design rules that also removed autoplay and set a minimum spin time.

How net position is worked out, with a pound example

The easiest way to read the figure is: everything the game has paid back to you this session, minus everything you have staked this session. If that sum is negative, the display shows a loss; if positive, a gain. Deposits, money left over from yesterday and pending withdrawals play no part, which is exactly what makes the number useful.

Take a 30-year-old player who opens a slot with £60 in the account and plays 50p spins. The table follows one session at three checkpoints.

Notice how the balance on its own tells a misleading story. At the end, £55.90 looks close to the starting £60, and after the feature the account even looked healthy. The net position line strips that away: across the whole session, £30 went in and £25.90 came back. The £4.10 gap is the session's real cost, and over longer play the house edge means that gap is the expected direction of travel.

Net position on UK slots versus your balance and history

Three numbers can appear on or near a slot screen and they answer different questions. Confusing them is common, so here is how they line up.

Because net position resets with each session, it is not a substitute for your account history. Someone who plays five short sessions a day could see a modest figure each time while the weekly total grows. For the bigger picture, open the transaction history in the cashier or ask the casino for a statement; our guide to setting a gambling budget shows how to compare the two.

Why the Commission brought in the net position rule

The rule arrived as part of a package the Commission finalised in February 2021 after consulting on online game design. The common thread was intensity: features that make play faster, longer and harder to keep track of. Autoplay was removed, spins were slowed to at least 2.5 seconds, turbo and slam-stop functions were banned, and games were told to stop celebrating results that are really losses. You can read how those pieces fit together on our pages about the 2.5-second spin rule and the losses disguised as wins ban.

Net position and elapsed time are the information half of that package. Fast reel games mix many small returns with occasional larger ones, and a balance that rises and falls makes it hard to tell whether a session is ahead or behind. A running total in pounds and a visible clock give players a fixed reference point without forcing any particular decision on them.

Which games and casinos must show net position

The requirement binds every operator holding a Gambling Commission remote licence and offering games to customers in Great Britain, which includes all five casinos this site covers. It is a condition of the licence, so a breach can lead to regulatory action rather than just a complaint. You can confirm a site is covered by finding it on the Commission's register; our guide on how to check a casino licence walks through it.

• Online slots: covered since 31 October 2021.
• Other online casino games such as RNG roulette, blackjack and house-played poker: covered since 17 January 2025, when the Commission extended its design rules after the summer 2023 consultation (opens in a new tab).
• Peer-to-peer poker: excluded from the 2025 extension.
• Land-based machines in arcades, bingo halls and betting shops: not covered by the Remote Technical Standards, which deal with online gambling.

Northern Ireland sits outside the Gambling Act 2005 framework, so Commission rules should not be assumed to protect players there; see our page on online gambling in Northern Ireland.

How to find and use the net position figure on a slot

Every studio designs its own interface, so the label varies: you may see Net, Session, Session result, Profit/Loss or a plus or minus figure next to a clock. A short routine helps you make use of it.

1. Open the slot and look along the top or bottom bar for a pound figure with a plus or minus sign, usually beside a timer.
2. If you cannot see it, open the menu or info icon; some games collapse the bar on small phone screens.
3. Decide before the first spin what net position would make you stop, for example −£10, and what elapsed time, for example 20 minutes.
4. Check both numbers every few minutes rather than only after a feature.
5. When either limit is reached, close the game rather than starting a new session to reset the counter.
6. Afterwards, compare the session figure with your transaction history to keep a weekly total.

Opening a new game usually starts a new session, which sets net position back to zero. That reset is by design, not a refund: the earlier result still sits in your account history.

What the rule means in practice: three worked scenarios

Scenario 1: the 20-minute session

A player aged 22 is limited to £2 a spin under the £2 slot stake limit, and chooses £1. With the 2.5-second minimum, the most spins possible in 20 minutes is 480, or £480 staked. On a slot with a 96% return to player figure, the long-run expectation on that stake is a £19.20 loss. Real sessions swing widely either side, which is why a visible running total matters more than the theoretical average.

Scenario 2: the big feature

A £40 feature win arrives after a run of losing spins and the net position jumps from −£22 to +£18. The display makes clear that £22 of the win simply repaid the session's earlier losses. Players who set a stop point at, say, +£15 can see they have passed it.

Scenario 3: switching games

A player loses £15 on one slot, opens another and sees £0.00. Nothing was refunded; the new game started its own session. Adding up sessions is the player's job, so the account history or a loss limit set in the account is the better tool for totals across games.

What the net position rule does not do

The requirement is about information. It is useful, but its limits are worth knowing.

• It does not stop play or cap losses. Spending limits come from the separate deposit limit rules and the tools you set yourself.
• Totals across sessions, games or days are outside its scope.
• No single on-screen design is prescribed, so labels and positions differ by studio.
• Exactly when every game's session begins is not defined beyond the guidance on the clock, so check the help screen if the figure looks odd.
• It does not change the maths of the game; the RTP and house edge are the same with or without the display.

Using net position alongside safer gambling tools

The session figure works best as one layer among several. Since 31 October 2025 casinos must prompt you to set a financial limit before your first deposit, and reality checks can pop up at intervals you choose. A short comparison helps you decide which tool does which job.

Our guides to reality checks and deposit limits cover set-up. If the number on screen is regularly bigger than you planned, the free, 24/7 National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 is run by GamCare, and our safer gambling page lists other support.

Net position display rule timeline

No change to requirement 2E had been announced as of 20 October 2026. For the full sequence of slot changes, see our latest slot rules page.

What to do if a slot does not show net position

If a game at a UK-licensed casino shows no session result or clock, first rule out a collapsed menu on a small screen. If it is genuinely missing, raise it with the operator.

1. Take a screenshot showing the game name, date and time.
2. Contact customer support and ask where the net position display is.
3. If you are unhappy with the answer, make a formal complaint under the casino's published procedure.
4. If it is still unresolved after eight weeks, the casino must offer to refer you to its alternative dispute resolution provider.
5. You can also tell the Gambling Commission; it does not settle individual complaints but uses reports to decide where to act.

The Commission explains each stage on its how to complain page (opens in a new tab), and our complaints guide adds practical wording.

Licensed casinos where slots show net position

Any casino on the Commission's register must meet requirement 2E, so the display is not a reason to pick one site over another. Licence, offer terms and tools are better tests. Both options below are licensed for Great Britain.

Coral Casino (LC International Limited, account 54743): 18+, new players. Deposit and bet £10 or more on slots to receive 100 free spins on selected games, worth 10p each; accept within 48 hours and use within 7 days. There is no wagering on free spin winnings. PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe, prepaid cards and certain debit cards do not qualify. The offer runs from 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027; terms apply. More on the Coral casino page.

PlayOJO (Skill On Net Limited, account 39326): 18+, new UK customers excluding Northern Ireland. A first deposit of at least £10 brings 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 is only available through the designated offer link; terms apply. See the PlayOJO page and the wider UK casino rules hub.

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.