What is Cooling-off period?
A cooling-off period, or time-out, is a short voluntary break during which a player's gambling account is locked, usually for between 24 hours and a few weeks.
UK rules require licensees to offer time-outs of 24 hours, one week, one month or another period on request up to six weeks. During a time-out, the customer cannot gamble and should not receive marketing. Unlike self-exclusion, it cannot normally be reversed before the period ends.
The term also describes the delay operators must apply before a request to raise a deposit limit takes effect. In Great Britain, increases normally take effect after a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours, while decreases apply immediately.
Cooling-off tools are intended to interrupt impulsive play and give customers time to reconsider. Some operators also offer one-click tools that block play immediately for 24 hours, sometimes described as a panic button. Use of time-outs is often reported in operators' safer gambling data alongside deposit limits and self-exclusion, and regulators review those figures when assessing how well tools are promoted to customers.