Online Gaming Act 2025: What's Banned and What's Legal

The Online Gaming Act 2025 bans all online money games where you pay to play for cash prizes; in force from 1 May 2026

Esports and casual social games are protected and promoted, not banned

Advertising real-money games and processing their payments is now a criminal offence

If money is stuck in a banned app, withdraw via the wind-down window and keep records

Free-to-play, subscription and tournament-prize games remain fully legal