Journey map
Safer Play Journey Map: Finding and Setting Limits
Setting a limit or taking a break has four stages to review: the starting point, finding the tool, setting the limit and confirmation. Ontario and Great Britain both set rules for several of these steps, including where tools must be linked and when changes take effect.
The map
| Stage | What the player is trying to do | Friction to look for | Support moment | Accessibility check | Rule or standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account | Start from wherever they are, including mid-game | Tools only reachable after login through several menus | A safer play link on the home page, deposit page and in the account menu | The same label and position on every page (WCAG 3.2.6 for help) | Great Britain: link to limit tools on home and deposit pages, from October 31, 2025 |
| Find tools | Recognize the tool they need | Vague labels such as 'Settings' or 'Preferences' hide limits and breaks | Plain labels: deposit limit, loss limit, time limit, take a break, self-exclude | Headings and link text that make sense out of context | Ontario 2.23: limit functions easy to find, reach and change at any time |
| Set limits | Choose an amount and period that fits them | Prefilled or suggested amounts; only rolling periods offered | Empty free-text amount fields and clear period choices | Labels and errors in text; no time-outs while typing (WCAG 2.2.1) | Great Britain: free-text limits with no prefilled suggestion; Ontario: 24 hours, 7 days and one month periods |
| Confirm | Know what changed and when it takes effect | No confirmation, or no word on cooling-off periods when relaxing a limit | A confirmation that states the new limit, its start time and any wait before increases | Confirmation announced as a status message | Ontario 2.24: relaxing a limit waits at least 24 hours |
How to use this map
Start the review from three places: the home page, the middle of a game and the deposit page. Count the steps to each tool and note the label at each step. The rule column names requirements in Great Britain and Ontario; check New Jersey and Australian rules separately with the safer controls placement review. This map is our template, not a record of any operator's product.
Stage notes
Account
Players may look for safer play tools from anywhere in the product, including mid-session. British operators must link limit tools from the home page and deposit pages, and WCAG 2.2 criterion 3.2.6 asks for help mechanisms repeated across pages to stay in the same relative order. Keep the safer play entry in the same spot everywhere.
Find tools
Labels decide whether the player recognizes the tool. Ontario's Standard 2.23 requires limit functions that are "easy to find, reach and initiate or change at any time". Use plain names: deposit limit, loss limit, time limit, take a break, self-exclude. The safer play tools paper quotes each market's placement rules.
Set limits
In Great Britain, amounts are free text with no prefilled or suggested figure. In Ontario, limit periods must include 24 hours, 7 days and one month, and the lowest limit applies when several are set. Labels and errors must be in text, and the form must not time out while the player is typing.
Confirm
The confirmation should say what changed and when it applies. British rules require decreases to take effect immediately; Ontario requires at least 24 hours before a request to relax or remove a limit is acted on. Announce the confirmation as a status message so screen reader users hear it.
Questions to ask at the end
- How many steps did it take to reach each tool from home, game and deposit pages?
- Would a first-time player recognize every label?
- Were any amounts suggested or prefilled?
- Did the confirmation say when the change applies and how long an increase waits?
- Was setting a limit at least as easy as removing one?
Questions
Should self-exclusion follow the same path as limits?
It should be just as easy to find, but it often needs extra steps, such as choosing a period and confirming, because it ends access for a time. Ontario requires terms of six months, one year and five years and immediate logout after self-exclusion.
Can a break be shorter than a day?
Ontario's breaks in play start at one day. Shorter reminders or session limits can be offered as well, but they do not replace the required break periods.
Sources
- AGCO, Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming: Responsible Gambling, sections last updated May 14, 2026.
- AGCO, Limit Setting Features, Standard 2.23 amended February 2022.
- Gambling Commission, New deposit limit rules provide clarity for consumers, published October 7, 2025.
- Gambling Commission, Changes to customer-led tools - financial limits, published October 23, 2025, updated May 26, 2026.
- W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, W3C Recommendation, December 12, 2024.
- W3C WAI, Understanding Success Criterion 3.2.6: Consistent Help, updated March 9, 2026.
- W3C WAI, Understanding Success Criterion 4.1.3: Status Messages, updated May 11, 2026.
Every source was read on October 27, 2026. How we choose and date sources: data sources.