Free-to-play game rules in UK casino apps

What the free-to-play game rules say

The central free-to-play game rule is short. Online gambling businesses licensed in Great Britain must verify a customer’s age before that customer can access free-to-play versions of gambling games. The Gambling Commission announced it on 7 February 2019 in its news release on new rules to make online gambling fairer and safer (opens in a new tab), and it took effect on 7 May 2019.

The same package changed identity checks. Operators must now verify age and identity before you can deposit or gamble, including with a free bet or a bonus. The minimum details are your name, address and date of birth. Our page on age verification rules covers those checks in full, and the wider framework is on our UK rules for casino apps hub.

Before May 2019, operators had 72 hours to complete age checks, so a new account could be used briefly before verification finished. That window is now closed for both real-money and free-to-play games.

Why demo games fall under the free-to-play rules

A demo game is a real gambling product with play money in place of cash. It has the same reels, sounds, bonus rounds and pace. If anyone could open it without an age check, a casino app would effectively be giving under-18s a taste of its gambling products.

Requiring verification first keeps those games behind the same door as the real thing. It also means the operator knows who is playing, which matters for its other duties around spotting signs of harm.

The rule fits the broader direction of UK advertising law too. Gambling marketing must not be of strong appeal to under-18s, as our page on gambling advertising rules explains, and an open demo lobby would sit awkwardly with that.

Free-to-play formats you’ll meet on your phone

Free-to-play covers several quite different things. The rules that apply depend on which one you’re looking at.

Our guides to demo mode on casino apps and social casino apps vs real-money apps go deeper into the first and third rows. For the newer sweepstakes model, see sweepstakes casinos and the UK.

How free-to-play game rules show up in casino apps

The most visible effect is that you can’t browse a UK-licensed casino app and tap into a demo straight away. You register, the operator runs its checks, and only then do demo or free versions open up.

1. Download the casino app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Register with your name, address and date of birth.
3. Let the operator run its database checks, which can use credit reference agencies or the electoral roll.
4. Upload documents if the app asks for them because the database check wasn’t enough.
5. Once verified, open the game and look for a demo or play-for-fun option if the operator offers one.
6. Set a deposit limit before your first deposit if you plan to play for real money later.

Not every app offers demo versions, and not every game within an app has one. Our answer on what demo mode is on a casino app covers why availability varies. If verification stalls, our guide on casino app age verification explains common reasons.

Free prize games in partner apps

Some apps include games that cost nothing to enter but can pay real prizes. Coral’s App Store listing mentions free-to-play games with real-money prizes, and Ladbrokes’ listing names Instant Spins, a daily prize wheel and game show or live roulette contests. They sit inside your verified account. Read each game’s own terms in the app, as the listings don’t give prize details.

App store rules for free-to-play and simulated gambling

Apple and Google add a second layer of rules that apply whatever the Gambling Commission says. Both separate real-money gambling from games that only look like it.

• Apple’s definitions: App Store Connect defines gambling as betting with real money or currency that can be exchanged for real money. Simulated gambling is betting without either.
• Apple’s age ratings: on iOS 26 and later, 18+ covers gambling and frequent simulated gambling, while 13+ covers infrequent simulated gambling. The full list is on Apple’s age ratings values and definitions (opens in a new tab) page.
• Real-money apps must be free to download: Apple requires real-money gaming apps to be free on the App Store, and Google Play requires them to be free to install and not to use Google Play billing.
• No in-app purchase for gambling credit: Apple’s guideline 5.3.3 says apps may not use in-app purchase to buy credit or currency for real-money gaming.
• Sweepstakes and contests: Apple’s guidelines 5.3.1 and 5.3.2 say they must be sponsored by the app’s developer, with official rules in the app making clear Apple isn’t involved.

Licensing and geo-restriction are covered on our page about app store rules for gambling apps. For how money goes in without in-app purchases, see whether casino apps have in-app purchases.

When free isn’t free: the advertising rule

The word free is closely policed in gambling marketing. Guidance from the advertising regulators says marketers should not describe an offer as free if the customer must risk their own money to qualify. It also warns against wording that suggests no risk unless customers genuinely can’t lose their own funds.

Under CAP rule 8.17, significant conditions such as deposits, wagering and minimum odds must be clear and prominent. The ASA’s guidance on free bets and bonuses in gambling ads (opens in a new tab) sets this out. That is why you’ll see wording like bet £10, get 100 free spins, with the condition right next to the word free.

A worked example in pounds

Take Coral’s current offer: bet £10 on slots to get 100 free spins at 10p each. The spins have a face value of £10 (100 × 10p). If the selected game returned 96%, those spins would return £9.60 on average over the long run, and the qualifying £10 bet would have an expected cost of 40p (£10 × 4%).

The RTP of the actual selected games may differ, so check each game’s help screen. Results in any one session can be well above or below these averages, and none of this makes profit likely.

What the free-to-play game rules don’t cover

The 2019 rule is aimed at gambling businesses licensed in Great Britain. It has clear edges.

• It doesn’t stop under-18s downloading social casino apps rated 13+ for infrequent simulated gambling, because those aren’t real-money gambling products.
• It doesn’t set what prizes free prize games must offer; that is down to each operator’s terms.
• It doesn’t turn demo results into a guide to real play. Demo and real-money versions should follow the same game rules, but past demo results don’t predict anything.
• It doesn’t apply to unlicensed offshore sites, which give you no UK protection at all.

If you’re worried about a young person and gambling-style games, our page on young people and gambling apps has practical steps for parents.

Free-to-play game rules timeline

These dates show how the free-to-play rules and the rules around them developed.

The January 2026 change matters for free spins with wagering attached. Our 10x wagering cap page explains how it limits the play-through on bonus funds.

Using free-to-play games sensibly

Demo modes are useful for learning how a game works before money is involved. A few habits keep them in that role.

1. Use a demo to read the paytable and see how features trigger, not to judge whether a game is due to pay.
2. Check the real-money RTP in the game’s help screen before switching to cash play.
3. Remember real-money play has slot stake limits of £5 (25 and over) and £2 (18 to 24) per spin.
4. Set a budget you can afford to lose before your first real stake.
5. Notice if free prize games pull you into the app more often than you intended.

For more ways to try games without staking, see our guide to free casino games apps and our list of casino apps with free daily games.

Real-money casino apps with welcome spins

Our partner apps are licensed by the Gambling Commission, so you’ll be age-verified before any demo or free version opens. Their welcome offers aren’t free play: each needs a qualifying deposit or stake first. All are 18+ for new customers and terms apply.

• Coral Casino: 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027. Deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10 or more on slots to get 100 free spins at 10p each on selected games; accept within 48 hours; valid 7 days; no wagering on free spin winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don’t qualify.
• Ladbrokes Casino: deposit and spend £10 or more on slots to get 50 free spins a day for 10 days, maximum 500 at 10p each on selected games; claim before 23:59 each day; valid 7 days; no wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits don’t qualify.
• PlayOJO: first deposit of £10 or more gets 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each; no wagering, with winnings paid in cash. New UK customers excluding Northern Ireland; can’t be combined; designated offer link only.

These are slot offers; table and live games are usually excluded. Full details are in our Coral, Ladbrokes and PlayOJO app reviews.

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.