Setting a deposit limit before the first hand
Setting a deposit limit takes four steps and your account's safer-gambling area: find the limits page, choose the period and the amount, confirm it, then note the date. Do it before the first deposit, not after a bad session. The mistake to avoid is picking an amount you can afford to lose only on a good day.
What you need
- An account with a licensed operator, or the sign-up screen of one.
- A figure you have decided on away from the table.
- Time to read the operator's limit wording in full.
This page carries no operator links and no advertising. It names no operators.
Step 1: Find the limits page
Action. Open the account menu and look for deposit limits, safer gambling or responsible gambling. Under RTS 12A to 12E, which took effect on 31 October 2025, licensed operators must link to limits from the home page and the deposit page.
Result. A page where you can set or change a limit.
Mistake to avoid. Looking only inside the game. Limits belong to your account, not to a table.
Step 2: Choose the period and the amount
Action. Look at which periods the operator offers, for example daily, weekly or monthly, and choose the one that fits how you budget. Pick an amount you would not miss.
Result. A limit that stops deposits beyond that figure over that period.
Mistake to avoid. Treating the limit as a target. It is a ceiling, and a lower amount is a perfectly good choice.
We have not checked the options at any operator, so we publish no list of periods or amounts.
Step 3: Confirm it, and know what the wording means
Action. Confirm the limit and read the wording. Since 30 September 2026, RTS 12B phase two means only a gross limit may be called a deposit limit. Spend limits are now called stake limits, and loss limit and net deposit limit are defined terms.
Result. A limit whose name tells you what it measures.
Mistake to avoid. Assuming a stake limit and a deposit limit are the same thing. A gross deposit limit counts what you pay in; a stake limit counts what you bet.
Step 4: Know how changes work
Action. Note the date you set the limit. A limit can be reduced immediately under the RTS 12 changes. We could not confirm the rule for raising one, so read the operator's own limits page before you plan to increase.
Result. A dated record and a clear expectation.
Mistake to avoid. Planning to raise the limit in the middle of a session. If you want a higher figure, decide it later, away from the table.
The same changes include a review of your limit every six months.
What the rules say, in one table
| Item | What we can state |
|---|---|
| Started | 31 October 2025 (12A to 12E) |
| Second phase of RTS 12B | 30 September 2026 |
| Prompt to set a limit | Required |
| Limit at account level | Required |
| Link from home and deposit page | Required |
| Reduce a limit immediately | Required |
| Review every six months | Required |
| Rule for raising a limit | Not checked |
If you cannot find a limit setting
- Search the operator's help pages for deposit limit, then contact support and ask where it is.
- If a licensed operator does not offer it, make a note and consider whether to play there at all. The twelve checks before you register include it.
- If you want to stop gambling rather than cap it, see registering with Gamstop.
- For support, GambleAware offers support to people in Great Britain, and the National Gambling Helpline is 0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day.
For other tools at the table, see reality checks, limits and time-outs.
Quick answers
- When should you set a deposit limit?
Before the first deposit, while you are not mid-session. A limit set in advance is a decision made without a live hand in front of you.
- Where do you find the deposit limit setting?
In the operator's account or safer-gambling area. Under RTS 12A to 12E, licensed operators must link to limits from the home page and the deposit page, so look there first.
- Can you lower a limit straight away?
Yes. The Gambling Commission's summary of RTS 12 lists reducing a limit immediately as one of the requirements. We could not confirm the rule for raising a limit, so read the operator's own page.
- What changed on 30 September 2026?
The second phase of RTS 12B started. Only a gross limit may be called a deposit limit, spend limits are now called stake limits, and loss limit and net deposit limit are defined terms.
- Does a deposit limit stop you gambling?
No. It caps what you can pay in over a period at one operator. If you want to stop, Gamstop blocks accounts at participating licensees.