From Bonus Wars to UX Wars in Online Sports Betting

For years, online sportsbooks competed through sign-up offers, free bets and increasingly aggressive promotions. Big bonuses. Even louder marketing.

But in 2026, there’s been a change. New rules mean operators can’t provide the same promotions they’d relied on. Under changes to the UK Gambling Commission’s License Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), operators must:

• Not offer mixed-product promotions. For example, “Bet £10 on sports, get 20 free spins.”
• Cap wagering requirements at 10x. If a player received a £10 bonus, they can’t be required to stake more than £100 before they can withdraw bonus-related winnings.
• Have clearer, simpler T&Cs.

Other changes afoot include rising betting duties and higher acquisition costs. Promotional spend isn’t going to be enough for operators now. They’ve got to look at their offer holistically. The focus is now on user experience.

Why the Bonus Model Is Breaking Down

In short, the changes to bonuses come within broader regulatory changes that have been building since 2023 with the Gambling Act White Paper.

The Commission carried out research showing that many players didn’t fully understand wagering requirements. When these were higher (30x-50x), there was also a link to extended gambling sessions. As for mixed-product bonuses, these were seen to encourage players to move between verticals in ways that they hadn’t originally intended. For example, a sports better taking advantage of free spins might then find themselves gambling on slots when they were initially only interested in betting on their favourite sport.

Essentially, the former structures meant there was increased time and money spent unintentionally, an offer’s true value wasn’t clear and there was an encouragement to behave in ways that didn’t align with safer gambling principles.

How UK Bonus Reform is Changing Competition

It’s clear that operators can no longer compete on how generous their promotions look. The competition is now in how the product feels to users.

Retention Becomes the Real Battleground

With the changes to bonus offers, higher taxes and higher costs, retention is more important than ever. If the focus, though, is on reload bonuses and push notifications, it’s not going to be enough. Margins are now too tight for relying on incentives.

Operators have started to look more closely at the full customer experience:

• How many steps are required to register?
• How long does KYC take?
• How intuitive is the bet builder?
• How quickly can a user complete a transaction?

Every click is friction. Delays risk drop-offs. The answer lies in improving user experience holistically.

Reducing Friction

UX-led sportsbooks are focusing on simplicity and speed.

Common priorities include:

• Streamlined onboarding flows
• Clearer navigation and search
• Faster page load times
• Simplified bet slip design
• Integrated and seamless payment journeys

Players expect immediacy. If building a multi-leg bet feels complicated, they will move elsewhere. If deposits are slow or verification is clunky, engagement suffers.

Personalisation Over Promotion

Rather than broadcasting generic offers, operators are leveraging behavioural insights to tailor suggestions. Preferred leagues, stake patterns and time-of-day habits can inform contextual prompts and relevant market highlights.

For example:

• A regular Premier League bettor may see curated accumulators.
• A lower-risk user may receive balanced market suggestions.
• A frequent in-play bettor may see live-event reminders.

Personalisation strengthens engagement without necessarily increasing bonus expenditure.