Wagering requirements decide how much you need to bet before you can withdraw winnings from a casino bonus, which makes them one of the most important terms to check.
This page explains how wagering works and what else affects a bonus, so you can work out what any offer really costs you.
What Is a Wagering Requirement?
A wagering requirement is the number of times you must bet your bonus funds before you can withdraw them, or any winnings made with them, as cash. You may also see it called a playthrough or rollover requirement.
The UK Gambling Commission defines it as a requirement where "a customer is required to make wagers totalling a particular value for funds to become withdrawable."
For example, if you get a £100 bonus with a 10x wagering requirement, you need to place £1,000 in bets in total (10 × £100) before you can withdraw.
Since 19 January 2026, casinos licensed by the UKGC cannot set a wagering requirement higher than 10x.
UK Rules on Wagering and Bonus Terms
The UK rules on bonus wagering changed on 19 January 2026. The Gambling Commission introduced a 10x cap on bonus wagering and banned promotions that mix different types of gambling.
Wagering isn't the only rule that protects you. UK casinos also have to follow rules on how bonus terms are shown, how your deposit is treated and how much you can stake on slots. Here are the main ones:
Rule
What it means for you
Since
10x wagering cap
A casino can't make you bet bonus funds more than 10 times before they become withdrawable. A £20 bonus can ask for £200 of bets at most.
19 January 2026
Mixed-product ban
One offer can't make you play more than one type of gambling (betting, casino, bingo or lottery). "Bet £10 on football to get slot spins" is no longer allowed.
19 January 2026
Clear, fair terms
The terms must be clear, transparent and fair, and the important conditions need to be easy to spot, not buried.
Ongoing
Your deposit is yours
You can withdraw your deposit at any time, even while a bonus is active.
Ongoing
Separate balances
Your deposit money and bonus money should be shown separately, so you can see exactly what's yours.
Ongoing
Wagering on the bonus only
Wagering is only attached to the bonus, not to your own deposit.
Ongoing
Online slot stake limits
Maximum £5 per spin if you're 25 or over, and £2 per spin if you're 18 to 24.
£5 from 9 April 2025; £2 from 21 May 2025
Can I Avoid Wagering Requirements?
No, you cannot avoid wagering requirements. Once you've accepted a bonus, you can't skip its rules. Bonus funds only become cash you can withdraw after you've met them. You still have three ways around them:
Decline the bonus. You don't have to claim a casino bonus to play. If you don't opt in, there's no wagering requirement, and everything you deposit and win is yours to withdraw.
Choose a no-wagering offer. Some casinos offer bonuses or free spins where winnings are paid as cash with no wagering. These often come with other limits, such as a lower bonus value or a cap on winnings.
Forfeit the bonus and withdraw your deposit. At UKGC-licensed gambling sites, you can withdraw your deposit balance at any time, even while a bonus is active. Your deposit and bonus balances must be shown separately, so you can see how much of your money is still yours.
Why Do Wagering Requirements Exist?
Wagering requirements are in place to discourage people from signing up, taking free money and walking away. Operators told the Gambling Commission that without them, organised groups could collect offers at scale, which is bonus abuse.
The Commission accepted that some wagering is needed to keep offers affordable. Its reason for capping it at 10x is about you, though: it found high wagering can drive more intense gambling and makes offers harder to understand.
How to Calculate the Wagering Requirements
For a standard casino bonus, start with one calculation:
Bonus amount × wagering multiplier = qualifying bets required
Say you get £25 in bonus funds with 8x wagering: £25 × 8 = £200. You need to place £200 in qualifying bets before the bonus funds become withdrawable. That's the total you stake across all your spins or hands, including re-betting winnings. It isn't the amount you'd lose, which is a very different number.
Not every bet counts in full. Casinos give each game a contribution percentage, so at a 30% weighting, every £1 you stake adds only 30p. Here's the same £200 requirement across different games:
Game contribution
Each £1 staked counts as
Bets needed to clear £200
100%
£1.00
£200
50%
50p
£400
30%
30p
About £667
10%
10p
£2,000
To work it out, divide the total by the percentage: £200 ÷ 0.30 is about £667. That's the same bonus and the same 8x, but more than three times the betting. Check the weighting list in the terms before you choose a game.
Bonus spins and no deposit bonus offers use the same calculation. If spin winnings are paid as bonus funds, multiply them by the wagering: £8 won at 10x means £80 to wager. If they're paid as cash, there's nothing to wager. A £5 no deposit bonus at 10x works the same way, at £50.
Expiry dates and max bet limits matter too. £200 to wager in seven days is about £29 a day. With a £2 max bet, you'd need at least 100 spins to reach £200, and breaking the cap can void the bonus and any winnings from it. Work this out before you opt in.
That's why looking for a low wagering casino offer based solely on the multiplier can be misleading. You also need to know which games count and at what percentage.
How to Wager a Bonus
Once you have found an UK casino bonus you wish to claim it’s time to start turning it into real, withdrawable money. Here's how to do it:
Total Time:60minutes
Supply:Bonus
Tools:Player account
Open an account
Register at your chosen casino and complete the age and ID checks.
Claim your bonus
Check the bonus claiming instructions and the games eligible to play with bonus money first.
Choose a game
Pick an eligible game that counts 100% towards wagering. Check the terms, as some high RTP slots are excluded.
Wager the bonus
Stay within the maximum bet while wagering, and keep an eye on the expiry date.
Withdraw your winnings
Once wagering is complete, request a withdrawal. Check for any cap on winnings, and expect standard withdrawal checks.
Is the Casino Bonus Worth It?
A bonus is usually worth it only if its wagering requirement is low and it doesn't make you spend more than you'd planned. Even then, it doesn't guarantee a profit.
That's because every bet carries the game's house edge, so wagering a bonus has an average cost. A slot with 96% return to player (RTP) keeps 4% of stakes over the long run. If you bet £200 on it to clear a bonus, the theoretical average cost is £200 × 4% = £8. That figure is an average, not a prediction. In a single session, you could end up well ahead or lose your whole balance.
£20 bonus at 10x
£20 bonus at 35x (Common before 2026)
Total to bet
£200
£700
Average cost at 96% RTP
£8
£28
Low game weighting, win caps, and expiry dates all make a bonus worth less than these figures suggest. If a bonus would push you to deposit, play or bet more than you'd planned, skip it.
Wager-Free Casino Bonuses
Wager-free casino bonuses, also known as no wager casino bonuses, are bonuses that do not require fulfilling any wagering requirements in order to withdraw your winnings.
Promotions that don't carry online casino bonus wagering requirements are rare. You can find a no-wager bonus on this page. Wager-free money bonuses are mostly available as free spins bonuses, i.e., wager-free free spins. The winnings from these bonuses are yours and ready to be withdrawn once other terms are met. Keep in mind that there is likely to be a maximum win limit, a maximum withdrawal limit’ and other rules might apply.
No Wagering Free Spins
Wager-free free spins pay any winnings as real, withdrawable cash. There's no playthrough, so what you win is yours once the spins are used. The trade-off sits elsewhere: you're often limited to one named slot, a fixed stake per spin, a short expiry, and sometimes a cap on how much you can win.
Make sure to check that the winnings actually land as cash, and not as bonus funds. Because there's no wagering, the 10x cap doesn't come into play.
Other Terms to Check Before You Claim a Casino Bonus
Wagering is only one line in the small print of a casino bonus. Two offers with the same 10x can be worlds apart once you read the rest.
Here are the terms you should check before you claim a casino bonus:
Multiplier and What It Applies To
Check the number, then check what it multiplies. Under UK rules, it should be 10x or less and apply to bonus funds. If the terms seem to attach it to your own deposit too, that's out of line with Gambling Commission guidance, so question it. Free spin winnings paid as bonus money usually carry the multiplier as well.
Game Weighting
If a game contributes 100%, £10 staked gives you £10 towards wagering. At 20%, the same £10 gives you only £2 of progress. So whenever you compare wagering requirements, compare the contribution percentage as well as the multiplier.
Excluded Games
Some games don't count at all, and a few can't be played with bonus funds. Progressive jackpot slots are a common exclusion, and casinos sometimes bar other games they see as lower risk for them.
Play an excluded game, and your bets may add nothing, or the bonus could be voided. The list is usually in the full terms, not on the offer banner.
Max Bet While Wagering
This is easy to confuse with the UK's slot stake limit, but they're two different things.
UK online slots are capped at £5 per game cycle for players aged 25+ and £2 for 18–24-year-olds.
A promotion can have its own lower maximum-bet condition, though. So “I'm below the legal limit” doesn't necessarily mean “I'm within the bonus terms”.
Bonus Expiry
Bonuses run on a clock. You may have days, sometimes less, to claim it, plus a separate window to finish the wagering.
When time runs out, the remaining bonus and any winnings from it can disappear. Divide your total wagering by the days or hours you have, and be honest about whether that fits the way you actually play.
Win or Withdrawal Cap
Some offers limit how much you can withdraw from bonus winnings, however well you do. Win £500 against a £100 cap and the rest can be removed once you finish wagering.
The cap should be stated in the main terms. Free spin offers, and no-deposit ones in particular, are where it's worth looking hardest.
Minimum Deposit
To claim a deposit bonus you'll need to pay in at least a set amount, such as £10 or £20. Check that against what you were already planning to spend, because a bonus is a poor reason to deposit more. The minimum for a bonus can also be higher than the casino's usual minimum deposit, so don't assume the two match.
Excluded Payment Methods
Some casinos won't give you the bonus if you deposit with certain methods, often e-wallets and sometimes prepaid cards.
Pay the "wrong" way, and you could miss out without realising until afterwards. The excluded methods are listed in the terms, so check before you deposit.
Your deposit stays yours to withdraw either way.
How to Forfeit
You can walk away from a bonus. You can exit a promotion at any time and take your remaining deposit plus any winnings from play with your own money.
The bonus and winnings from it are given up. Look for a forfeit option in your account, or ask support, and check that your balances are shown separately first.
Tips on How to Wager a Bonus
If you're going to use a bonus, you don't need some elaborate “wagering strategy”. You need to know the conditions, know your limits, and avoid letting the promotion dictate how long or how much you gamble.
Make Sure You Understand the T&Cs
Toggle content
Always make sure you read the terms before you click opt in, not after. Find the multiplier, what it applies to, the expiry, the max bet, and the game list, then work out the total to bet.
If you can't work out what you're agreeing to, that's a reason to skip it. Terms should be clear, so murky wording is itself information.
Use Only Games That Contribute 100%
Toggle content
Stick to games that count in full, often slots, and check the list first. On a 10% game, the same £200 target becomes £2,000 of bets, which means more time, more spending and a bigger risk of blowing your budget.
Stay Under the Max-Bet Rule and Stake Limit
Toggle content
Two ceilings apply. The legal one is £5 a spin on online slots if you're 25 or over, and £2 if you're 18 to 24. The casino's own bonus max bet can be lower, and that's the one that can void your winnings if you break it.
Set your stake under the lower of the two before you start, and remember some terms treat even one oversized bet as a breach.
Set a Budget and Time Limit Before You Start
Toggle content
Decide how much you'll spend and how long you'll play before you open the game. Use your account's deposit limits and reality checks to hold yourself to it.
Hitting a wagering target is never worth spending more than you planned. If you can't clear it within your limits, it's fine to forfeit the bonus and move on.
Which Games Count Towards Wagering
Every casino sets its own contributions, so this varies by casino. As a rough guide, slots often count 100%. Table games, live casino, and video poker often count 0–20%. Progressive jackpot slots are often excluded altogether. Treat these as ranges, not promises, because the only numbers that matter are the ones in the terms of the bonus you're taking.
Game type
Typical contribution (varies by casino)
Slots
Often 100%
Table games
Often 0–20%
Live casino
Often 0–20%
Video poker
Often 0–20%
Progressive jackpots
Often excluded
RTP, or return to player, is the share of stakes a game pays back on average over a very long run, often millions of spins.
A 96% RTP means roughly £96 back per £100 staked in the long run, not in your session. It also means the casino keeps an edge, so on a £200 target the average cost is about £8, though a single session can land well above or below.
Volatility describes how the wins arrive. Low volatility games pay smaller amounts more often. High volatility games pay less often, but sometimes in larger amounts. Neither changes the long-run RTP.
For wagering, high volatility can empty a bonus balance before you reach the target. The game's information screen often shows its RTP, so check it.
Safer Gambling at UK’s Online Casinos
A bonus is never a reason to gamble more than you meant to. If you're chasing losses, hiding your play, or spending more than planned to hit a target, stop. Your account should let you set deposit limits and take a time-out, so use them before you start rather than after.
GAMSTOP is free and blocks you from UK-licensed gambling sites for six months, one year or five years. If gambling is becoming difficult to manage, either for you or a loved one, GamCare National Gambling Helpline is free and available 24/7 on 0808 8020 133.
FAQs
What does 'wagering' mean in the context of online casinos?Toggle answer
In online casinos, 'wagering' refers to the act of placing bets or stakes on games. When you wager, you're betting a certain amount of money on the outcome of a game, whether it's slots, poker, or other casino games.
Is there a legal limit on wagering in the UK?Toggle answer
Yes. Since 19 January 2026, Gambling Commission licensees can't require you to play through bonus funds more than 10 times before they become withdrawable. The rule sits in licence condition SR code 5.1.1. It sets a maximum, not a minimum, so a casino can still choose a lower figure, or none at all.
What happens if I withdraw the bonus before completing the wagering?Toggle answer
Usually you forfeit the bonus and any winnings from it. Your deposit, and winnings from play with your own money, stay yours. Check the terms and confirm your deposit and bonus balances are separate first.
Can I withdraw my deposit while a bonus is active?Toggle answer
Yes. UK guidance says you can withdraw your deposit balance at any time, even with a bonus active, and wagering shouldn't apply to it. Casinos often treat that as giving up the bonus, though, so check the terms first. The deposit is yours either way.
Are no wagering bonuses better?Toggle answer
Not automatically. They let you keep winnings without playthrough, which is simpler, but they can be smaller and come with tight limits such as a win cap or one eligible game.
Tim Mirroman is a casino writer and reviewer with 8+ years of experience covering UK online casinos. He specialises in payments, withdrawals, casino reviews and player protection, with particular expertise in GAMSTOP, self-exclusion and UK Gambling Commission safety measures.
Alina Anisimova is an experienced iGaming writer and content manager with a background in journalism and operator-side content. Alina brings a strong editorial eye and research-led approach to her work at Mr. Gamble. Her expertise covers online casinos, banking methods, bonuses, safe and responsible gambling.
