As the news in the casino sector informs, the regulatory climate in Europe is becoming stricter than ever. Many European regulators, including the Finnish Ministry of Interior, Swedish Gambling Authority, and Belgian Gambling Commission, require mandatory stakes limits at online casinos.
So, if an online casino operates under a license issued by the gambling authority, it has to instate limits on stakes and time spent gambling. While this practice can enhance player protection and in preventing gambling addiction, when overdone it can have a reverse effect and push some casino fans to unprotected and unlicensed casino sites.
Read this article to learn about the most common types of limits and the effect this practice has on online gambling sites, casino players, and software developers.
What are stakes limits at online casinos?
The stake limit is a maximum or minimum amount that a gambling operator allows its players to gamble away per given game. This is a very common practice for online casinos that want to stay compliant with a certain regulation or to enhance player protection. While some stake limits are required by the gambling authorities, some online casinos chose to instate these caps voluntarily.
Initially, the limits on bets existed as a form of gross gaming revenue management, so a lucky player could not wipe out all casino profits. And in the modern iGaming market, limitations on stakes, deposits, and time spent playing are instated to prevent problem gambling and reduce harm from games of chance.
Types of casino limits: limitations on stakes and speed of play
With the development of new regulations, online casino venues have adopted several types of limitations on games of chance. Currently, most gambling laws require operators to limit:
- the number of bets;
- amount of deposit;
- speed of play;
- time and money spent at the online casino.
Read this article below to find out the most common online casino limits in Europe.
Deposit limits
This type of casino limitation is the most common in the European jurisdictions and restricts the maximum amount of funds that players can deposit onto their accounts at the gambling platform over a set period, such as:
- a day;
- a week;
- a month.
Limitations of losses
The other way of limitation in the iGaming sector is the cap on players’ losses. Similar to the deposit cap, this limit is also instated for a certain period.
Stake limits
Many online casinos opt for the limitation of stakes. The player or the casino operator sets the maximum amount that can be wagered in a single game or over a given period.
Limitations on playing session
Some gambling ops also restrict the length of a gambling session on the iGaming platform. Some casino ops are also required to install time alerts that notify players of time spent gambling. The other gambling websites utilize AI and data science to identify unhealthy gaming patterns and send a notification to users that show signs of problem gambling.
Speed-of-play limits
The experts in problem gambling believe that there is a link between the fast speed of play of slot games and an addiction to games of chance. The effect of speed-of-play limits is most evident on the software providers, as they have to implement changes to already released games.
In a recent study, the Gambling Commission of the UK has suggested minimum speed-of-play limits for slot games. UKGC proposed to apply the 2.5-second speed-of-play limit per one spin. 65% of respondents agreed while other respondents stated that the minimum time of the spin should be longer (from 3 to 5 seconds).
Casino limits across European jurisdictions
Each jurisdiction chooses whether to set a limit on gambling and the exact amount of spending/stake/deposit cap. The table below shows some of the most common in the European states that regulate gambling.
| Country | Type of the limitation | Limit |
| Belgium | loss limit | EUR500 per week (BGC plans to lower to €200) |
| Germany | deposit limit | EUR1 000 per month across all casino sites |
| stake limit | EUR1 per spin stake on a slot game | |
| Sweden | deposit limit | SEK5 000 per week |
| Finland | loss limit | EUR500 per dayEUR2 000 per month (Veikkaus) |
| Norway (Norsk Tipping) | loss limit | NOK5 000 per month |
| time of play limit | A 15-minute break after an hour of play | |
| Switzerland | stake limit | A-type casinos – no stake limits;B-type casinos – CHF25 per game for automated game |
| The UK | speed-of-play limit | 2.5-second per spin time-of-play limit (will come in force on 31 of October 2021) |
| Greece | stake limit | EUR2 per one stake at online slots |
| limit on prizes | EUR5 000 per gaming session on slotsEUR7 000 for casino games | |
| Malta | stake limit | EUR5 per player in non-profit gamesEUR2 per player for Limited Commercial Communication games |
| Lithuania | stake limit | EUR0.5 per stake for category B slot machines |
Last year, a £100 monthly deposit cap and £1-£5 stake limit was proposed in Britain. However, the proposal was quickly rejected by the Betting and Gaming Council.
Other gambling authorities require players to set a deposit limit before engaging in the games of chance. This type of regulation is in place in Denmark, Holland, and several other gambling jurisdictions. Spanish gambling authority has recently introduced new regulations on games of chance and is going to impose session-based stake limits by July 2022.
Types of limitations on stakes at online casinos (low and high)
When the gambling law doesn’t require casino ops to set a maximum stakes limit, online casinos can decide for themselves whether to impose any limitations on stakes. In this case, the exact amount of betting limit depends on the type of casino game and the gambling venue. But usually, iGaming sites fall into two categories:
- low stakes casinos;
- high-roller casinos.
Each type of casino has its pros and cons and targets different audiences. Let’s look at them separately.
High stakes casino sites
High stake casinos target the small group of high-roller players and, thus, adopt higher maximum and minimum sums of bets. The main benefits and risks of playing at these casinos are listed in the table below.
| Pros | Cons |
| attend to the needs of high-roller players | lower security of players’ funds |
| VIP promotions and events for players | higher risks of problem gambling behavior |
| access to exclusive gaming software | restricted in many countries |
Online casinos with low stake limits
Most online casino establishments have adopted low maximum and minimum limits to access a broader range of audiences and comply with the gambling regulations.
| Pros | Cons |
| available to players with all kinds of income | limited options of gameplay |
| safe banking | a limited sum of bets |
| reduced gambling harm |
Impact of stakes limits on online casino players
Stake limits in its core is a tool for player protection, which is imposed so the user won’t develop a gambling addiction. However, this practice can have both positive and negative consequences for the frequent visitors of online casinos.
As mentioned before, casino stake limits help in creating an overall safer gambling environment and can discourage problem gambling behavior. However, excessive caps on casino games can make the overall experience less enjoyable for the players and force them to switch from licensed casinos to unprotected black markets. This measure also directly limits gamblers who prefer to play at high stakes and have no other choice but to go to unlicensed platforms. In addition, some casino table games, like roulette, are impossible to play at low stakes.
What is the impact of stakes limits on software providers?
As game development is an integral part of the iGaming sector, the software developers are also influenced by the casino caps.
Generally, casino software providers develop one version of a game for multiple gambling platforms. However, with the limits on stakes, speed of the game, and limitations on bonuses being imposed by the gambling authorities, it becomes extremely difficult for the game development studio to adapt to all the changes. And as the regulations differ from country to country, game studios have to develop different products to fit different gambling jurisdictions.
Moreover, software developers have to alter already released to comply with ever-changing gambling laws. While some changes can be minor, the others, like removing an auto spin feature, can lead to the complete modification of an app or a website.
So, the overbearing and inconsistent casino limits can result in lost revenue and missed opportunities for the game development studios. Nonetheless, online casino software providers need to understand stake and other types of limits to remain relevant in the modern iGaming market.
Future of online casino with stake limits
Limitations on stakes, speed of play, deposits, and other aspects of casino gameplay are currently being enforced in multiple gambling jurisdictions. Let’s take a look at how the future of online casinos will look like with stake limits in place.
No doubt, that low maximum stake limits will have a direct impact on casino revenues, perhaps, reducing the overall turnover in the first few years after the change. But as the industry will become sustainable, gambling companies will be able to attract higher investments and, thus, have more opportunities for business development.
At the same time, casino ops will have to meet the demand of high-limit games to avoid players going to unlicensed websites. So, high-limit online casinos will remain relevant despite possible bans in some of the strictest gambling jurisdictions. These types of casino establishments would create opportunities for legal play for high-roller players.
Read more: Best iGaming Aggregators
