What a wagering requirement is
A casino bonus usually arrives as bonus funds or spins that you cannot withdraw straight away. The wagering requirement says how much you must stake before any winnings from the bonus become withdrawable. It is written as a multiple, such as 10x, and the terms say what it multiplies: usually the bonus amount.
The cap
From 19 January 2026 the Gambling Commission limits wagering on promotions to ten times the bonus. Before the change, requirements of 35x or more, sometimes counted on the deposit and the bonus together, were common.
Worked example: a £20 bonus with 10x wagering needs £200 of stakes. At £1 a spin that is 200 spins. The same bonus at 35x would have needed £700.
What still varies between offers
Game weighting. Some games count only part of each stake towards wagering, or not at all. Slots often count in full; table games often count less.
Time limits. Bonus funds and spins expire. An offer with a short window pushes you to play more often than you might choose to.
Maximum stake. Many offers limit the stake per spin while a bonus is active. In any case slot stakes in Great Britain are capped at £5 a spin, or £2 for players aged 18 to 24.
Winnings caps and excluded payment methods. Some offers cap what bonus winnings can be worth, or exclude deposits made by certain e-wallets.
A way to read any casino offer
Write down four numbers before you deposit: the bonus, the multiple, the days you have and the maximum stake. Multiply the first two. If that total is more than you would happily spend on entertainment in the time allowed, the offer is not for you, however large the headline looks.
Bonus play is still gambling with your own deposit at risk. Treat any bonus as a discount on entertainment, never as a way to make money.