Customer interaction rules explained

What the customer interaction rules require

The rule is social responsibility code 3.4.3 (opens in a new tab), titled remote customer interaction. It requires operators to have effective systems that minimise the risk of customers experiencing harm from gambling. Those systems must cover three stages, identify, act and evaluate, and must treat interaction as an ongoing process rather than a one-off.

Monitoring has to begin when an account is opened, not after a customer has been playing for months. The Commission's formal guidance sits behind the code, and operators must take it into account and be able to show how they've done so. It sits within the wider set of UK rules for casino apps.

Operators stay responsible even when another company runs part of the service for them, such as a platform supplier. They must make sure every indicator is monitored in a timely way regardless.

The seven harm indicators casino apps must monitor

The code lists seven types of indicator. Operators must use a range that fits their customers and products, but these are the required categories.

To see how a pattern might show up, imagine a player who usually deposits £20 a week and then deposits £200 in one evening after several declined attempts. That combines spend, pattern and account indicators, and it's the kind of change the system should flag for a person to look at.

Many of the signs operators look for are the same ones on our signs of problem gambling page. Noticing them yourself is often quicker than waiting for an operator to.

What operators must do when they see signs of harm

Once a risk is identified, the operator must take timely, appropriate action tailored to the number and strength of the indicators. The code describes a ladder of responses.

1. Tailored action at lower levels of risk, aimed at reducing future harm.
2. Stronger action where earlier steps haven't worked.
3. Strong action straight away where that's appropriate, rather than working up the ladder.
4. Reducing or preventing marketing or bonus take-up.
5. Ending the business relationship where necessary.

Strong indicators, automation and your right to contest

Two parts of the rule matter most for players. Since 12 February 2023, paragraph 10 has required operators to stop marketing and new bonus take-up when strong indicators of harm are found. And strong indicators must be acted on promptly through automated processes; where automation is used, the operator must manually review how it worked in each customer's case, and you must have the chance to contest any automated decision that affects you.

The marketing stop links directly to the gambling marketing consent rules: even if you've opted in to every channel, strong indicators override that choice.

Vulnerability and the customer interaction rules

Since 31 October 2023, operators must also consider factors that can make a customer more vulnerable to gambling harm, follow the Commission's approach to vulnerability in its guidance, and act appropriately and in a timely way when vulnerability indicators appear.

Money is an obvious factor, which is why the financial risk checks rule feeds into this one. The live financial vulnerability check looks at public records once net deposits pass £150 in a rolling 30 days, and what it finds becomes part of the operator's customer interaction picture.

The Commission also committed in July 2023 to consult on three financial risks: significant unaffordable losses over a short period, significant unaffordable losses over time, and customers in a financially vulnerable situation.

How operators must check their approach is working

The third stage, evaluate, is easy to overlook. Operators must understand how each interaction affects a customer's behaviour and ongoing risk, and decide whether more action is needed.

At a company level, they must evaluate their overall approach, for example through trials and measuring impact, and be able to show the Commission the results. They must also compare their number of customer interactions with the Commission's published problem gambling rates for the relevant activity, to check they're interacting at least in line with them. The code doesn't require any particular outcome from those interactions.

The Commission's customer interaction guidance (opens in a new tab) sets out the full list of requirements and explains which parts are mandatory and which are expected good practice.

What customer interaction looks like in a casino app

The rules set outcomes, not screens, so each operator decides how an interaction looks. It might be a message in the app, an email, a call from a safer gambling team, a suggestion to set a limit, offers drying up, or restrictions on the account.

You'll also see the rule's spirit in the tools apps must offer. Reality checks, time-outs and limits are all monitored as indicators, and UK game rules since 17 January 2025 require net spend and time to be shown in real time. PlayOJO's app listing names tools including Safe Mate, Take A Break and Deposit Limits; our pages on Coral's safer gambling tools and PlayOJO's safer gambling tools explain what each app offers.

If an operator contacts you about your gambling

1. Check the message is genuine. Reply through the app or the operator's official site, not through a link in an unexpected text.
2. Answer honestly. The operator is required to act on what it sees, and accurate information helps it get the response right.
3. Use the tools offered. A lower deposit limit or a time-out takes effect quickly and puts you in control.
4. If an automated decision has restricted your account and you think it's wrong, ask for it to be reviewed. You have the right to contest it.
5. If you're unhappy with how it was handled, use the operator's complaints process, as explained in our guide to complaining about a casino app.

Customer interaction failures and Gambling Commission fines

Customer interaction failures feature in most of the Commission's 2024 to 2026 fines against online operators. Some notices name customer interaction directly; others describe wider social responsibility failures.

You can read the Paddy Power Betfair settlement notice (opens in a new tab) and the Petfre (Gibraltar) settlement notice (opens in a new tab) on the Commission's site, and the full enforcement action list (opens in a new tab) is kept up to date there. Our reviews of the Paddy Power Casino app, the Betfred Casino app and the Unibet app cover these brands' apps today.

What the customer interaction rules don't do

The rules don't set a spending cap, a session length limit or a fixed script. They require effective systems and proportionate action, which is why two operators can respond to similar behaviour in different ways.

They also aren't a replacement for your own choices. The Commission's rules expect operators to watch for harm, but the tools you set yourself, such as deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion through GAMSTOP, work immediately and don't depend on anyone else noticing. Our overview of safer gambling tools in casino apps compares them.

Customer interaction rules timeline

Licensed casino apps with welcome offers and safer gambling tools

The apps below are licensed by the Gambling Commission and must follow the customer interaction rules from the day you open an account. Their welcome offers are for new customers, and an operator must stop new bonus take-up where it finds strong indicators of harm. 18+ and terms apply.

• Coral Casino: bet £10 on slots, get 100 free spins. 18+, new players, offer runs 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027. Deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10 or more on slots; the 100 spins are on selected games at 10p each, must be accepted within 48 hours and are valid for 7 days. No wagering on free spin winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify.
• Ladbrokes Casino: play £10 on slots, get up to 500 free spins. 18+, new customers. Deposit and spend £10 or more on slots for 50 free spins a day over your first 10 days (500 maximum), 10p each on selected games, claimed before 23:59 each day and valid for 7 days. No wagering. Deposits by prepaid card, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers don't qualify.
• PlayOJO: 80 free spins with no wagering. 18+, new UK customers excluding Northern Ireland; first deposit of £10 or more. The 80 spins are on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each and winnings are paid in cash. It can't be combined with other offers and is available only through the designated offer link.

These are slot offers and the house edge still applies. Before you claim one, it's worth setting a deposit limit; our Ladbrokes safer gambling tools page shows the options in that app.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.