A gross deposit limit and a net deposit limit can show very different numbers even when the same deposits and withdrawals occurred. The gross version counts money paid into the account. The net version subtracts withdrawals during the relevant period. From 30 September 2026, Great Britain’s remote gambling rules reserve the simple label deposit limit for the gross version, while a withdrawal-adjusted tool must be described as a net deposit limit.
The distinction matters because “I deposited £500” and “I ended up £500 down” are not the same statement. Deposits describe money entering an account. Gambling losses depend on wagering and outcomes. Withdrawals describe money leaving the gambling account. Mixing those concepts can make a budgeting tool appear more protective or more restrictive than it really is. The Commission’s updated consultation response makes clear that operators can still offer both gross and net approaches, but the labels must stop blurring them.
A simple gross-limit example
Assume a player sets a £300 weekly gross deposit limit. On Monday, the player deposits £100. On Tuesday, another £100 goes in. On Wednesday, the player withdraws £150 after a winning session. On Thursday, the player tries to deposit £150.
Under a gross deposit limit, the Monday and Tuesday deposits have already used £200 of the £300 allowance. The £150 withdrawal does not erase either deposit. Only £100 of gross deposit capacity remains for the defined week, so a £150 deposit should be blocked or limited accordingly. The calculation is about incoming payments, not the current account balance and not the player’s profit or loss.
| Transaction | Gross deposits counted | Gross room left from £300 |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit £100 | £100 | £200 |
| Deposit £100 | £200 | £100 |
| Withdraw £150 | £200 | £100 |
| Attempt to deposit £150 | Would exceed £300 | Only £100 remains |
This is the model that the RTS 12B final wording requires operators to offer from 30 September 2026. The gross deposit limit must also have at least equal prominence if an operator presents other types of financial limits.
How the same activity looks under a net limit
Now apply a net deposit limit to the same transactions. The Commission’s guidance defines a net deposit limit as the amount deposited into the account minus withdrawals made for the period or duration of the limit. After £200 of deposits and a £150 withdrawal, the net deposit figure is £50. On that measure, a further £150 deposit would move the net figure to £200.
That does not mean the player has only risked £200, and it does not mean the withdrawal “refunded” earlier gambling. It means the net movement of money into the gambling account is £200 under that formula. If the withdrawn £150 is later deposited again, a net limit may permit more recycling than a gross limit with the same headline amount. That is the practical reason the two controls should not share an ambiguous label.
The Commission’s net-deposit-limit definition is useful because it separates this account-funding measure from stake limits and loss limits. A loss limit looks at stakes minus winnings or returns. A stake limit looks at wagering volume. Those calculations can diverge dramatically from both gross and net deposits, especially when money is repeatedly wagered.
Fixed and rolling periods change the picture again
From 30 September 2026, required gross deposit limits must be offered on fixed time frames. Other financial limits, including net deposit limits, may be offered on fixed or rolling time frames. A fixed weekly period could reset at a stated boundary. A rolling seven-day calculation continuously drops old transactions as they move outside the seven-day window.
Consider £100 deposited on a Sunday and another £100 on the following Monday. Under a fixed calendar-style weekly reset, those deposits could fall into different periods if Monday begins the new week. Under a rolling seven-day limit, both remain inside the same seven-day window until the Sunday transaction ages out. The amount on the screen can therefore depend on both the formula and the time model.
The safest way to read any limit is to ask three questions: what transactions count, what transactions are subtracted, and when does the period reset? The answer should be stated by the operator. A headline such as “£300 weekly limit” is incomplete unless the calculation behind it is clear.
Neither limit measures affordability
A player choosing between gross and net limits should not treat either one as a regulator-approved spending recommendation. The Gambling Commission sets rules for how tools work; it does not decide that a particular limit is affordable for an individual customer. Personal finances, household commitments and gambling risk are outside the arithmetic of the tool.
This is also why deposit limits should not be confused with bankroll planning. A gambling bankroll is money a player has chosen to allocate to gambling activity, while a deposit limit is a technical account control. GambleRoad’s bankroll management guide discusses turnover, units and limits from the player side. The regulatory limit simply determines what the gambling system will accept under the chosen rule.
Likewise, a withdrawal can make a net deposit number fall without changing the fact that substantial wagering may have taken place. If £500 is deposited, £450 is won back and withdrawn, then another £450 is deposited, gross deposits total £950 even though net deposits may be much lower. That distinction is central to understanding why the regulator chose a standardized gross definition for the unqualified term “deposit limit.”
Why Great Britain standardized the name
Before the 2026 change, operators could present different calculations using similar language. The Commission concluded that this created a comprehension problem. Its updated response says gross limits historically matched common expectations of a deposit limit and had more evidence of consumer use. Rather than ban alternative controls, the Commission chose to reserve one label and require the gross option to remain visible.
The result is a useful hierarchy. “Deposit limit” means gross deposits over a fixed period. “Net deposit limit” means deposits minus withdrawals and may use a fixed or rolling period. “Stake limit” and “loss limit” refer to different gambling activity. A player can use more than one control if the operator provides them, but each tool should be understood on its own terms.
For players who want to combine financial controls with time-outs, account reviews or self-exclusion, GambleRoad’s responsible gambling options overview covers those tools separately. The important point is not to choose the control with the most attractive number. It is to know what the number actually counts.