What's actually banned
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 prohibits operators from offering four specific things as "inducements": VIP treatment, free bets, free credit, and free hospitality. GRAI's own framing draws a clear line between promotions offered to the general public — still allowed — and anything personalised at an individual or specific group, which is not.
Why "VIP" specifically
VIP and loyalty schemes reward the heaviest spenders with perks, personal account managers, exclusive bonuses, and hospitality — precisely the customers most likely to be spending beyond what's sustainable for them. GRAI CEO Anne Marie Caulfield has framed the Act's public-health measures around two goals: protecting children, and protecting people from problem gambling. Rewarding escalating spend sits directly against the second goal, which is why VIP schemes were named explicitly rather than left to general "responsible advertising" language.
What operators can still do
General, public-facing promotions remain permitted — a welcome offer advertised to anyone visiting the site, for instance. What's prohibited is targeting: a personalised offer sent to a specific customer or segment, particularly one designed to win back someone who has reduced or stopped spending. The distinction is between "here's an offer for anyone" and "here's an offer because we noticed you specifically."
Where this sits alongside other restrictions
This inducement ban runs alongside — and reinforces — several other protections already covered on this site: the credit card gambling ban (so "free credit" can't route around that restriction), the TV/radio advertising watershed, and mandatory deposit limits and spending alerts. Together they target the same pattern from different angles: making it structurally harder for an operator to escalate a specific customer's spending.
Related reading
See social media and influencer advertising rules for how GRAI treats personalised marketing on platforms specifically, and the TV/radio watershed for the broadcast-side restrictions.