The UK 10x wagering cap, explained
Since 19 January 2026, no site licensed by the Gambling Commission can ask you to bet a bonus more than 10 times before you withdraw. Here's what that means in pounds, and what it doesn't change.
What the rule says
The Gambling Commission's licence conditions now limit any wagering requirement to 10 times the bonus. It applies to casino, betting and bingo promotions alike. The rule came into force on 19 January 2026, on the same day as a ban on bonuses that mix different kinds of gambling.
Before the cap, requirements of 35 times or more were common on UK casino welcome bonuses. That's the difference the rule makes: it decides whether a bonus is worth having at all.
What 10x means in pounds
Take a £20 casino bonus played on a slot that returns 96% of stakes over time. Every £100 you bet costs you £4 on average. Here's how the wagering requirement changes the sums:
| Wagering | Bets needed | Average cost of those bets | What the bonus is worth on average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x, the UK cap | £200 | £8 | £12 |
| 35x, common before 2026 | £700 | £28 | −£8 |
At 10x you'd expect to keep more than half the bonus. At 35x the bets cost more than the bonus gives you, on average. These are averages over many players: your own result over a few hundred pounds of spins can be much better or much worse.
Game weighting still matters
Many casinos count only part of each stake towards wagering on table games. The Gambling Commission's own example is roulette weighted at 30%, where each £1 you bet counts as 30p. At that weighting, clearing a £20 bonus at 10x takes about £667 of bets, not £200.
What the cap doesn't change
- Time limits. A 10x requirement is far harder to finish in 3 days than in 30. Check how long you have.
- Maximum bet rules. Many casinos cap your stake while a bonus is active. Go over it and they can cancel the bonus and its winnings.
- Winnings caps. Some bonuses limit how much you can win or withdraw from bonus play.
- Minimum odds. Sports offers still set a minimum price for the bet that qualifies you.
- Free bets. Most free bets have no wagering at all, so the cap rarely touches them. Their catch is that the stake isn't returned when they win.
Mixed bonuses are gone too
Since the same date, a bonus can't require two kinds of gambling. A bookmaker can't make you play slots to unlock free bets, and a casino can't make you bet on sport to get free spins.
Check any offer in 30 seconds
Put the bonus and its terms into our wagering requirement calculator to see how much you'd need to bet and what the bonus is worth on average.
Sources
- Gambling Commission, Gambling promotions to be safer and simpler, 26 March 2025.
- Gambling Commission, LCCP 5.1.1, Rewards and bonuses.
- Gambling Commission, Bingo and casino technical requirements: wagering requirements.