Wagering Requirements Under the 10x Cap
For years, the most confusing line in any casino bonus was the wagering requirement. Offers of “£100 bonus, 40x wagering” meant staking £4,000 before winnings could be withdrawn — a number many players never reached. That changed on 19 January 2026, when the UK Gambling Commission capped wagering requirements at 10 times the bonus amount.
What a wagering requirement is
A wagering requirement (also called playthrough or rollover) is the total amount you must stake before bonus funds, or winnings from them, become withdrawable. If you receive a £20 bonus with 10x wagering, you need to place £200 in bets before cashing out.
Under UK rules, requirements can only be applied to the bonus, not to your own deposit. Your deposited money must always remain withdrawable.
How to calculate the cost
Wagering has an expected cost because every bet carries a house edge. On a 96% RTP slot:
- £20 bonus × 10 = £200 to stake
- Expected loss = £200 × 4% = £8
So, on average, a £20 bonus is worth about £12 once the requirement is complete. That is still positive — but only if you would have played anyway and only if you can reach the end. Volatility means many players lose the bonus before completing wagering, which is factored into how operators price these offers.
What the cap changed
Before the cap, the same £20 bonus at 40x cost £800 in stakes with an expected loss of £32 — more than the bonus itself. The 10x limit makes most bonuses mathematically positive on paper for the first time. It also removed the incentive for operators to compete on headline bonus size while hiding the true cost in the multiplier.
What the cap didn’t change
Several terms still affect real value:
- Game weighting. Slots often count 100% towards wagering; table games may count 10% or nothing. Playing roulette to clear a bonus could mean staking ten times more than the headline suggests. (We cover this in a separate post.)
- Maximum bet while wagering. Commonly £2–£5 per spin. Exceeding it can void the bonus.
- Expiry. Seven to thirty days is typical. Unfinished wagering forfeits the bonus.
- Maximum cashout. Some offers, especially no-deposit ones, cap winnings at a fixed sum.
- Restricted games. Certain titles are excluded entirely.
The mixed-product ban
Alongside the cap, the Commission banned promotions that bundle different products — for instance, a sports free bet that unlocks casino spins. Every offer must now relate to a single product, which makes terms simpler to read and stops players drifting into unfamiliar games.
A practical checklist
Before accepting any bonus, note four numbers: bonus amount, wagering multiplier, maximum bet and expiry. Multiply the first two, divide by the maximum bet and you have the minimum number of spins required. If that number doesn’t fit the time available or the stake you’d normally play at, the bonus isn’t for you — regardless of how generous it looks.
Bonuses are marketing tools, not free money. Only claim one if you’d be playing anyway, and never deposit more than planned to unlock an offer.
