Guide · Bonus terms
What a 10x wagering requirement actually means
Every casino bonus in our ranking carries the same multiple. That makes the multiple the least interesting part of the offer, and the details around it the most important.
The short version
A wagering requirement is the amount you must stake before bonus money, or winnings made with it, can be withdrawn. “10x” means ten times something. The something is where the detail lives.
Take a £50 bonus with a 10x requirement on the bonus amount. You would need to place £500 of qualifying bets before the bonus side of your balance could be cashed out. Not £500 of losses; £500 of stakes. Win £2 on a £1 spin and that still counts as £1 towards the total.
Why every UK offer now says 10x
From 19 January 2026 the UK Gambling Commission capped wagering requirements on casino and betting promotions at ten times. Before that, 35x or 40x was common, and a few offers went higher. The same package of changes also stopped operators from bundling different products, such as a sports bet and casino spins, into one promotion.
So, if a UK-facing casino advertises 10x, it is not being generous. It is complying. And if you ever see a multiple above ten attached to an offer aimed at British players, that is a reason to ask questions.
Ten times what, exactly?
This is the question that separates one offer from another. Among the five casinos we currently rank, there are three different answers.
| What the 10x applies to | Where we see it |
|---|---|
| The bonus plus free spin winnings, one combined total | Luna, Swift |
| The bonus, and separately the spin winnings, on different clocks | Vegas Mobile, The Online Casino |
| Free spin winnings only (there is no matched bonus) | PlayKasino |
The older habit of applying wagering to deposit plus bonus has largely disappeared from the UK, which is welcome. It doubled the task without looking any different in a headline.
A worked example
Say you deposit £20 at a casino offering a 100% match and 50 spins at 10p. You receive a £20 bonus, and suppose the spins return £4.
- Bonus requirement: £20 × 10 = £200.
- Spin winnings requirement: £4 × 10 = £40.
- If both share one total, you need £240 of qualifying stakes within the time limit.
- If they run on separate clocks, the £40 may be due in seven days while the £200 has thirty.
At 20p a spin, £240 is 1,200 spins. That is a fair few evenings for most people, and it is worth knowing before you start rather than a fortnight in.
What wagering costs, on average
Here is the part the banners never mention. Every slot has a return-to-player figure, usually somewhere in the mid-90s. A 96% RTP means the game pays back, over a very long run, £96 for every £100 staked. The other £4 is the house's.
So wagering £240 on a 96% slot has an average cost of roughly £9.60 (4% of £240). On a £500 requirement it is about £20. Individual sessions swing wildly around that average, in both directions, which is exactly why gambling is gambling. But the average tells you something honest: a bonus is a discount on play, not a sum of money you are being handed.
The conditions around the multiple
Game contribution
At the Skill On Net brands only slots count towards wagering. The ProgressPlay brands say contribution “varies per game” and that the bonus is “available on selected games only”. Table games and live dealer games are commonly excluded or count at a reduced rate, so check the table in the full terms before you sit down at roulette with a bonus balance.
Time limits
Thirty days is typical for the bonus. Spin winnings sometimes get only seven. Miss the window and the bonus, plus anything won with it, is removed.
Which money is played first
Some casinos use your bonus (or spins) before your deposit; others play your real balance first and only count bonus bets towards the requirement. Neither is automatically better, but they behave very differently if you want to stop halfway.
Maximum bet and maximum conversion
Nearly every bonus limits your stake while it is active, and some cap how much bonus money can ever become cash. Our free spins guide covers the max bet in detail; the Vegas Mobile review shows how a conversion cap can matter more than the headline.
A checklist before you accept any bonus
- What is the 10x applied to?
- How many days do you have, and is there a separate clock for spins?
- Which games count, and at what rate?
- What is the maximum stake while wagering?
- Is there a cap on what can be withdrawn?
- Does a withdrawal request cancel the bonus?
If you can't answer those six from the terms, the terms are not clear enough. That, more than the multiple, is what we score.