Sticky and Non-Sticky Casino Bonuses Explained

by James Gibson, 6 November 2025

When it comes to claiming online casino bonuses, there are some important points in the terms and conditions you should be aware of. One of them is whether a bonus is sticky or not. Knowing this is key because it affects what you can do with the the promotion.

Comparing sticky and non-sticky online casino bonuses. © ASchuehlein, Pixabay

Differences Between Sticky and Non-Sticky Bonuses

When it comes to online casino bonuses, there are lots of terms and phrases you might not be aware of. One of them is sticky and non-sticky bonuses. In this blog post, we’ll explain both of these in detail.

Knowing the difference between sticky and non-sticky bonuses is important because it can help you find the most suitable bonus offers. Generally speaking, the more you know about bonus terms, the better.

All promotional offers at online casinos come with terms and conditions. These are the rules that explain how to earn the bonus and what you can and can’t do with it once it’s yours.

The best casino bonus offers have terms and conditions that are favourable to the player. However, there can still be a few points that are restrictive. It’s always worth reading the fine print so you’re aware of what’s involved.

Sticky Bonuses Explained

So what exactly is a sticky bonus? In a nutshell, it’s a bonus that you can spend on casino games, but can’t ever withdraw. It only has one purpose, and that’s being used for wagers.

It’s so-called because it ‘sticks’ to your account balance. When it comes to placing wagers, your bonus and deposited money are combined, so it’s a single source of money you’re using.

To give an example, let’s say you join an online casino and claim its welcome offer. This gives you a 100% match bonus up to £100. Your first deposit is £100, so you end up with £200 to spend.

This £200 is made up of your £100 deposit and the £100 in bonus funds you’ve earned thanks to the welcome offer. Let’s say that after satisfying the wagering requirements, you’re left with £500.

You can’t cash out the full £500. This is because the bonus amount, in this case £100, gets deducted. The result is that you can only withdraw £400 of the £500.

There are two main types of sticky bonuses you may come across: phantom and expiring. A phantom sticky bonus stays attached to your balance until you cash out; an expiring one disappears after a certain amount of time.

Before claiming a sticky bonus, you have to understand that the bonus combines with your balance. You can’t withdraw any winnings until the wagering requirements have been met. Attempting to do so might result in your winnings being forfeited.

Non-Sticky Bonuses Explained

As for non-sticky bonuses, these are easier to understand and more common at online casinos. They’re so called because the bonus you receive from a promotion doesn’t ‘stick’ to your balance. They’re completely separate from your deposited money.

When you claim a non-sticky bonus, the money you deposited and the bonus are held in two different balances, and it’s your own money that you spend first. Only when you’ve used it up, do you start using the bonus.

If you’re lucky enough to win before spending the bonus, you can cash out any remaining deposited funds and winnings whenever you want. This is because when spending your own money, there are no wagering requirements attached to your winnings.

It’s only casino bonuses, i.e. bonus money, free spins and cashback, that have wagering requirements. With a non-sticky casino bonus, you can withdraw the bonus money once you’ve met its wagering requirements.

Finding Out Whether a Bonus Is Sticky or Not

You might be thinking that you have to read a promotion’s terms and conditions to find out whether the bonus is sticky or not. The good news is that you don’t have to do this.

This is because in the UK, all bonuses at licensed sites are non-sticky in accordance with regulations published by the UK Gambling Commission. The UKGC regularly comes up with new rules to protect players.

Having said that, you can still find sticky bonuses at casino sites that aren’t licensed by the UKGC. These sites aren’t technically legal, but players won’t get punished for signing up at them.

UK players should stick to online casinos that are licensed by the UKGC. They offer better protection and are much safer and more secure than casino sites licensed by other regulatory authorities.

When claiming bonuses at licensed UK casinos, you can rest assured that they’re non-sticky. The UKGC banned sticky bonuses because they’re not that favourable towards players and don’t align with the regulatory authority’s updated approach to bonuses.

If you’re at a casino site not licensed by the UKGC, you’ll no doubt want to find out if a bonus is sticky or not before claiming it. The thing is, casinos don’t necessarily use the sticky/non-sticky descriptions.

To determine whether a bonus is sticky or not, read the terms and conditions. You should be on the lookout for key phrases that indicate the type of bonus it is.

If it’s a sticky bonus, the text will explain that the wagering requirements have to be met before you can make a withdrawal. It should also specify exactly what these are, how you can satisfy them, and when you can expect to do so.

For a non-sticky bonus, it should be stated in the fine print that you can withdraw deposited funds and winnings from it before satisfying the wagering requirements. There should also be a mention of spending real money before the bonus.

Comparing Sticky and Non-Sticky Bonuses

Even though sticky bonuses aren’t available at online casinos licensed by the UKGC, it’s still worth comparing them with non-sticky ones. Of the two, sticky bonuses are seen as the less favourable, hence their ban.

One of the key advantages of sticky bonuses is that they can give your deposit a significant boost. This gives you more opportunities to play and therefore more chances to win. You can play for longer and potentially win more.

The wagering requirements for sticky bonuses can be quite low. The average is 35x, and some sticky bonuses can have wagering requirements as low as 20x. Other key benefits include few game restrictions and a high maximum bet size.

Having said that, the terms and conditions for sticky bonuses can be quite confusing to some players.. Additionally, the wagering requirements must be met before you can withdraw any funds, and the bonus cannot be cashed out.

As for non-sticky bonuses, the key advantage is that whatever you win from spending your own deposited money is yours to keep. You can withdraw it at any time without needing to meet wagering requirements.

It’s usually the case that the terms and conditions for non-sticky bonuses are easier to understand than the fine print for sticky bonuses. Non-sticky bonus offers are seen as much more player-friendly overall.

The key disadvantage they have is that the bonuses are smaller than sticky ones. The wagering requirements on the bonus money are sometimes higher than average and there may be restrictions on eligible games and bet size.

Focus on Non-Sticky Bonuses

The key takeaway is that non-sticky bonuses give players a better deal than sticky ones. The UKGC has recognised this and taken action to prevent licensed casinos in the UK from offering players sticky bonuses.

Join any online casino that’s licensed by the UKGC, and you can rest assured that all the bonuses will be non-sticky. If you happen to join a site without a UKGC licence, always read a promotion’s fine print.

If it appears that a bonus is sticky, only claim it if you’re comfortable with everything in the fine print. There’s no point taking part in a promotion whose terms you don’t agree with.