Autoplay on casino games
Autoplay is a game setting that places bets and starts spins automatically for a chosen number of rounds, without a tap for each one. It has been banned on online slots in Great Britain since 31 October 2021, and from 17 January 2025 the ban covers other online casino games too, so UK casino apps make you start every round yourself.
By the Best Casino Apps UK team. Last checked .
Key takeaways
- Autoplay ran a set number of spins or rounds without you tapping each one.
- It is banned on UK online slots (since October 2021) and other casino games (since January 2025).
- Free spins inside a triggered bonus round still play on their own, because no new stake is placed.
- Seeing an autoplay button on real-money games is a sign you aren’t on a UK-licensed version.
- Meaning
- Automatic repeated spins or rounds
- Banned on UK slots
- Since 31 October 2021
- Banned on other casino games
- Since 17 January 2025
- UK rule
- Commit to each game cycle individually
- Exception
- Auto-posting blinds in peer-to-peer poker
What autoplay is
On a slot built for markets that allow it, autoplay sits beside the spin button as a circular-arrow icon or a button marked Auto. Tap it and a panel asks how many spins to run (10, 50, 100 or more) and sometimes when to stop: on a single win above a set amount, when the balance falls by a set amount, or when a feature triggers. Confirm, and the game keeps spinning at your chosen stake until one of those conditions is met.
The same idea exists in some table games as auto-bet or auto-deal, repeating your last bet every round until you cancel. In UK-licensed apps, none of these real-money versions are available.
Why autoplay is banned in UK casino apps
The Gambling Commission’s technical standards say the gambling system “must require a customer to commit to each game cycle individually”. A separate rule for slots requires at least 2.5 seconds between the start of one game and the next, and says you must release and press the start button again (or take an equivalent action) to begin each spin. Holding your thumb on the button doesn’t count. For other casino games the minimum is five seconds per round.
The Commission’s reasoning, set out when it brought in the 2021 game design rules, was that features which speed play up or take the decision away from the player can make it harder to keep track of time and money. Removing autoplay means every stake follows a deliberate choice.
| Product | Autoplay allowed? | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Online slots | No | 31 October 2021 |
| Other online casino games (roulette, blackjack, game shows) | No | 17 January 2025 |
| Peer-to-peer poker: automatic blind posting | Yes, permitted | — |
| Free spins inside a triggered bonus feature | Play out automatically (no new stake) | — |
What you see instead on a UK casino app
In a UK version of a slot, the spin button is usually the only way to start play, and the space where Auto used to sit is often empty or holds the stake button. A few things still happen without a tap, and they’re within the rules:
- Free spins rounds inside a slot play through on their own once triggered, because they are part of the game cycle you already paid for.
- Cascades and respins that belong to the same paid spin resolve automatically.
- Repeat or Rebet buttons in roulette and blackjack put your last chips back on the table, but you still tap to place them for each round.
- Promotional free spins from a welcome offer are started one at a time, the same as paid spins.
Autoplay as a warning sign
Because every UK-licensed operator must remove real-money autoplay, finding it in an app that takes your money is a sign that something is wrong. The app may be serving a version meant for another country, or it may not be licensed in Great Britain at all. Check the licence details in the app’s footer or About section against the public register using our guide to checking a casino licence, and see casino app red flags for other signs.
Social casino apps that use only play-money coins sit outside the Commission’s rules and may still include an auto-spin feature; that doesn’t make them real-money gambling apps. Using a third-party auto-clicker to recreate autoplay in a licensed app is likely to breach the operator’s terms.
Staying in control without autoplay
Tapping for each spin helps, but it isn’t a budget. A reality check shows how long you’ve played and your net position, and deposit limits or time-outs stop play once you hit the line you’ve chosen. Our UK slot design rules on mobile guide covers the full set of 2021 and 2025 changes, and the safer gambling page lists the National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133) and GAMSTOP.
Related terms
See turbo spin for the speed features banned alongside autoplay, stake limit for the per-spin caps, and the full glossary for more.
18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
Is autoplay banned in the UK?
Yes, autoplay is banned on real-money online slots in Great Britain since 31 October 2021, and the ban extended to other online casino games from 17 January 2025. Every licensed casino app must make you start each spin or round yourself, with at least 2.5 seconds between slot spins and five seconds between rounds of other casino games. The rules apply on iPhone, Android and mobile browsers alike. Our UK slot design rules on mobile guide explains the full set of changes.
Why can’t I find the autoplay button on my slot?
You can’t find it because UK versions of slots don’t include autoplay. Developers build one version for markets that allow it and a separate one for Great Britain, where the button is removed. Licensed apps only serve the UK version to UK accounts. If you’re used to autoplay from a holiday abroad or an older game, the difference is the regulation, not a fault in the app. The how to play slots on your phone guide shows the controls that remain.
Why do free spins still play automatically if autoplay is banned?
Free spins triggered inside a slot play automatically because they are part of the paid spin that triggered them, not new bets. The UK rule requires you to commit to each game cycle, and a game cycle lasts until everything staked or won in it is settled, including its bonus feature. Promotional free spins from a welcome offer are different: each one is started with a tap, like a normal spin. Our free spins entry explains both types.
Is the rebet button in roulette a form of autoplay?
No. A Rebet or Repeat button puts your previous layout of chips back on the table, but you still choose to press it and confirm each round. That is a commitment to each game cycle, which the rules allow. What isn’t permitted is a setting that keeps placing bets and spinning without any input from you. Live tables add a betting timer, and if you don’t place chips before it closes, you simply sit that round out. See our roulette apps guide.
Can I use an auto-clicker to spin a slot for me?
You shouldn’t. Auto-clickers and automation shortcuts recreate the autoplay that UK rules removed, and operators’ terms commonly prohibit software that plays on your behalf, so using one risks having your account restricted or winnings withheld. If tapping repeatedly is physically difficult, look at the phone’s own accessibility settings and the game’s controls, which our casino app accessibility guide covers. Contact the app’s support team if a game is hard to use.
Is autoplay allowed in poker apps?
Peer-to-peer poker is a partial exception. The Commission’s guidance says automatically posting blinds is allowed, so you can set the app to put in your blinds each hand. Betting decisions, and topping up your chips, still need your own input: automatic re-buys aren’t permitted. House-banked poker games, such as Casino Hold’em, follow the casino-game rules, including the five-second minimum round and no autoplay. Our poker apps page covers mobile poker in the UK.