Sticky bonus explained: casino bonus terms glossary

Core terms

• Wagering requirement (playthrough, rollover): total bets required before bonus funds can be withdrawn. Bonus × multiple, or (deposit + bonus) × multiple.
• Bonus balance: funds credited under promotion terms, usually held apart from your cash balance.
• Cash balance: your own deposited money and, depending on the casino, winnings that are free of conditions.
• Cashable (non-sticky) bonus: the bonus is removed at withdrawal and you keep what is left. Your cash is typically played first.
• Sticky bonus: the bonus itself cannot be withdrawn; only winnings above it can, after wagering.
• Max cashout: the highest amount you can withdraw from a bonus.

Limits during play

• Max bet: the highest stake per spin or hand while a bonus is active. Breaching it can void winnings.
• Game weighting: the percentage of each bet that counts toward wagering. Slots often 100%, table games far less.
• Excluded games: titles that do not count at all, often high-RTP, jackpot or bonus-buy slots.
• Bonus buy restriction: a ban on buying a feature round while wagering.
• Expiry (validity): the deadline for use or completion.

Offer types

• No deposit bonus: credited without a payment. Usually small, capped and subject to wagering.
• Match bonus: a percentage of your deposit added as bonus funds, such as 100% up to a limit.
• Free spins: spins on a set game at a set value.
• Reload bonus: a repeat match on later deposits.
• Cashback: a percentage of losses returned, with or without wagering.
• Welcome package: a bundle spread over several deposits.

Account and compliance terms

• KYC (know your customer): identity verification. Casinos can request it at registration, before a withdrawal or at a threshold.
• Bonus abuse: actions the casino treats as exploiting a promotion: multiple accounts, matched betting, structured bets to clear wagering. Penalty is usually confiscated winnings.
• One per household/IP/device: restricts bonus claims to a single account across shared details.
• Promo code (bonus code): a text key that attaches an offer to your account. See our codes guide.
• T&Cs: the general terms. The bonus terms page is separate and overrides them for that promotion.

Maths terms

• RTP (return to player): the long-run percentage of stakes a game returns, a statistic over millions of spins, not a promise to one player.
• House edge: 100% minus RTP.
• Volatility (variance): how widely results swing. High-volatility slots pay less often and more unevenly.
• Turnover: total amount staked.
• Expected value (EV): the average result of a decision over many repeats. See the dollar table.

Terms that change meaning between casinos

'Bonus' can mean the match amount alone or match plus spins. 'Winnings' can mean any balance above your deposit or only profit from a bonus round. 'Wager' sometimes means the total across all bets and sometimes only losing bets. When a definition matters to your decision, look for a definitions section in the T&Cs, and if there is none, ask support to confirm in writing.

How to use the glossary

Open the terms of the offer in one tab and this page in another, and tick off each defined word you find: wagering base, multiple, game weighting, max bet, max cashout, expiry. If a term in the offer is not defined anywhere in the terms, that is itself a finding. For the numbers behind the words, use the wagering table.