Before and after the 10x cap
Casino bonuses before and after the 10x cap are different products. Since 19 January 2026 no UK casino may require bonus funds to be wagered more than ten times, where 30x to 50x used to be normal, and promotions can no longer mix betting with casino. This guide dates each step, works through the sums and shows what the cap leaves untouched.
By the Latest Casinos team. Last checked .
Key takeaways
- Since 19 January 2026, UK bonus wagering is capped at 10x the bonus funds (LCCP social responsibility code 5.1.1).
- The same date banned promotions that mix products, such as a sports bet unlocking casino spins.
- A £50 bonus at 35x needed £1,750 of stakes; at 10x it needs £500, with an average cost of about £20 at 96% RTP.
- Game weighting, maximum bets, expiry and winnings caps still apply, so 10x can mean much more play in practice.
- Any offer showing wagering above 10x or a cross-product unlock predates January 2026 or breaks the rules.
LatestBefore January 2026 a typical £25 bonus at 35x needed £875 of stakes and cost about £35 on average to clear, more than the bonus. At 10x it needs £250 and costs about £10.
The sums
| Measure | 35x (typical before) | 10x (maximum now) |
|---|---|---|
| Stakes needed | £875 | £250 |
| Average cost at 96% RTP | £35 | £10 |
| Average value of the bonus | Less than nothing | About £15 |
Where the differences went
With every bonus at 10x or below, casinos now differ on how long you have, which payment methods qualify and what you must do to claim.
Today
| Casino | Offer | Wagering | Minimum deposit | Time limit | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coral | Bet £10 on slots, get 100 free spins | None | £5 by Google Pay or Pay by Bank; the offer needs a £10 slot bet | 48 hours to accept, then 7 days | 5 October 2026 |
| PlayOJO | 80 free spins, no wagering | None | £10 for the welcome offer; otherwise check the cashier | See offer terms | 5 October 2026 |
| Ladbrokes | Play £10 on slots, get up to 500 free spins | None | £5 by Google Pay or Pay by Bank; the offer needs £10 spent on slots | Claim daily for 10 days; each batch valid 7 days | 5 October 2026 |
| Casumo | 50% bonus up to £100 | 10x bonus | £10 (£20 for the welcome offer) | 7 days to complete wagering | 5 October 2026 |
| 10bet | 100% bonus up to £25 | 10x bonus | Not published; check the cashier | 3 days to complete wagering | 5 October 2026 |
The same bonus, twice
£50 at 35 times needed £1,750 of stakes and cost about £70 on average: more than the bonus. At ten times it needs £500, costs about £20 and leaves about £30.
What casinos changed
Smaller matched bonuses, more wager-free spins and shorter deadlines.
10x wagering cap timeline: from the 2018 CMA case to January 2026
The cap was the end point of almost a decade of pressure on bonus terms. Each step below is dated from official sources, so you can tell which rules applied when an old offer or review was written.
| Date | What happened | What it meant for bonuses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 February 2018 | First undertakings in the CMA's online gambling case | Clearer, fairer bonus terms at the named firms; players able to withdraw their own money during bonus play |
| 29 April 2019 | CMA closes its case with a joint letter alongside the Gambling Commission | Bonus fairness becomes an industry-wide expectation |
| 27 April 2023 | Gambling white paper published | Promises 'fair limits on re-wagering requirements' |
| 29 November 2023 | Commission consultation opens (to 21 February 2024) | Options include capping wagering or banning it outright |
| 26 March 2025 | Commission announces its decision | 10x cap and mixed-product ban confirmed; an outright ban on wagering is not adopted |
| July 2025 | Start date moved | From 19 December 2025 to 19 January 2026 |
| 19 January 2026 | Both rules in force | Wagering above 10x and cross-product incentives end at every UK-licensed operator |
The Commission's own summary of the change, gambling promotions to be safer and simpler (opens in a new tab), explains the reasoning, and the consultation response (opens in a new tab) records why a complete ban was rejected. The earlier history sits on the CMA's online gambling case page (opens in a new tab). For the wider context, see our gambling white paper page and the 2026 timeline.
UK casino bonus wagering at 50x, 35x and 10x: worked sums
Wagering is the total you must stake before bonus funds become withdrawable. The average cost of that staking is the total multiplied by the game's house edge. At an illustrative 96% RTP slot the edge is 4%, so every £100 staked costs about £4 on average. The table uses that rate to show how the cap changed three common bonus sizes.
| Bonus | At 50x | At 35x | At 10x (maximum since 19 January 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10 | £500 staked, about £20 cost | £350 staked, about £14 cost | £100 staked, about £4 cost |
| £50 | £2,500 staked, about £100 cost | £1,750 staked, about £70 cost | £500 staked, about £20 cost |
| £100 | £5,000 staked, about £200 cost | £3,500 staked, about £140 cost | £1,000 staked, about £40 cost |
At 35x and above, the average cost of clearing was larger than the bonus itself, which is why many old bonuses had little or no expected value. At 10x the average cost is 40% of the bonus, so the bonus is worth roughly 60% of its face value on average. That is still an average across many players: individual results swing widely, and the house edge means you should expect to lose money over time.
The time it takes to wager under UK spin-speed rules
Slot game design rules in force since 31 October 2021 set a minimum of 2.5 seconds per spin and ban autoplay, so wagering has a minimum time as well as a cost. At £1 a spin, £100 of wagering is 100 spins and at least about 4 minutes; £500 is 500 spins and at least about 21 minutes; the old £5,000 for a £100 bonus at 50x was 5,000 spins and at least about 3.5 hours of continuous play. Real sessions take longer. See the spin speed limit.
Game weighting, max bet and expiry: why 10x can still mean more play
The cap limits the multiplier, not the other terms around it. Three of those terms can raise how much you actually stake, or shrink the time you have to do it.
- Game weighting. If a game counts only part of each stake towards wagering, the real staking rises. A £20 bonus at 10x needs £200 on a slot counting 100%, but £2,000 on a table game counting 10%. See game weighting explained.
- Maximum bet. Most bonuses set a stake ceiling while the bonus is active; Casumo's is £5. Breaking it can void the bonus, as the max bet rule explains.
- Expiry. A short deadline raises the daily pace: 10bet's £250 of wagering on a £25 bonus within 3 days is about £83 of stakes a day. See bonus expiry.
- Winnings caps. Some bonuses limit what you can win from them; 10bet's maximum bonus winnings are £1,000. The term to look for is a maximum cash-out.
| Offer | Deposit | Bonus | Wagering | Deadline | Daily pace to finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casumo: 50% up to £100 | £20 | £10 | £100 | 7 days | about £14 a day |
| Casumo: 50% up to £100 | £200 | £100 | £1,000 | 7 days | about £143 a day |
| 10bet: 100% up to £25 | £25 | £25 | £250 on slots | 3 days | about £83 a day |
Casumo's bonus also needs an opt-in and has game, play and payment restrictions; 10bet's needs the casino welcome bonus chosen at sign-up and a first deposit within 7 days. Neither needs a promo code. Our wagering calculation guide shows how to run these sums for any offer, and the latest Casumo offer and latest 10bet offer pages record the full terms.
The mixed-product promotions ban: the other January 2026 change
The second rule that took effect on 19 January 2026 changed the shape of welcome offers at sportsbook-and-casino brands. An incentive must not include more than one type of gambling product: betting, casino, bingo or lottery. Before the ban, offers such as 'bet £10 on football, get 50 casino spins' were a common way to steer new betting customers into slots.
| Before 19 January 2026 | Allowed now? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bet £10 on sport, get casino spins | No | Combines betting and casino |
| Play bingo, unlock slot spins | No | Combines bingo and casino |
| Play £10 on slots, get slot spins | Yes | Single product |
| Deposit and get a casino bonus at 10x | Yes | Single product, within the cap |
That is why the Coral and Ladbrokes welcome offers now ask for £10 played on slots rather than a bet. The same rule change deleted a provision that tied an incentive's value to gambling for a set time or at a set frequency. More detail is on the mixed-product promotions ban page and in casino vs sportsbook bonuses.
What the 10x wagering cap does not change
The cap is narrower than some offer pages suggest. The code text speaks of playing through bonus funds a maximum of ten times; it does not regulate every other way a bonus can be made harder to use.
- It doesn't make bonuses compulsory or set a minimum value: casinos can still offer no bonus at all.
- It doesn't stop game restrictions, contribution rates, maximum bets, deadlines or winnings caps, as long as the terms are clear, fair and readily accessible.
- It doesn't change the house edge: every pound staked still carries the game's built-in cost.
- It doesn't make old reviews accurate: anything written before 2026 describing 35x or 40x as normal is out of date.
- Our facts don't confirm whether any wagering may also be attached to the deposit; if an offer asks you to wager your deposit as well as the bonus, ask the casino how that fits the cap.
The cap applies to any incentive, so promotions for existing customers fall under it as well as welcome offers. Our bonus terms rules page covers the fairness requirements that sit alongside it.
How UK casino welcome offers changed shape after the 10x cap
The cap did not just shrink a number in the small print; it changed what casinos chose to offer. With high multipliers gone, a large matched bonus became far more expensive for an operator to give away, because far more of it would reach players as withdrawable cash. The responses fall into a few recognisable patterns, all visible among the five partner offers checked on 5 October 2026.
More wager-free free spins with a qualifying spend
Spins with no wagering and a fixed value let a casino cap its cost precisely: 100 spins at 10p cost at most £10 of stakes, whatever happens. Coral (bet £10 on slots, get 100 free spins), Ladbrokes (play £10 on slots, get up to 500 free spins over ten days) and PlayOJO (80 free spins on a £10 first deposit) all use this model. 18+, T&Cs apply. See no wagering free spins.
Smaller matched bonuses at exactly 10x
Matched bonuses survived, but with lower ceilings and shorter windows. 10bet matches 100% up to £25 with 3 days to wager on slots, and Casumo adds 50% up to £100 with 7 days. Both sit at the 10x limit rather than below it.
Deadlines and daily claims instead of high multipliers
Where a multiplier used to control how much play a bonus produced, timing now does more of that work: daily claim windows, 48-hour acceptance periods and short expiry dates. These are legitimate terms, but they reward players who were going to log in anyway. If a deadline would push you to play more often than you normally would, the offer is not good value for you, however generous it looks.
How to check a casino bonus against the 10x cap
- Find the wagering line in the significant terms. If it says more than 10x the bonus, the offer predates 19 January 2026 or breaks the rules.
- Check what the multiplier applies to. '10x bonus' on a £20 bonus is £200; anything framed as deposit plus bonus deserves a closer look.
- Look for a cross-product condition, such as a sports bet unlocking casino spins. That has been banned since 19 January 2026.
- Read the game contribution table and work out the real stake needed for the games you actually play.
- Divide the wagering by the days allowed to see the daily pace, and compare it with your usual spend.
- Check the licence holder on the Gambling Commission's register. An offer that ignores the cap is a warning sign about the site itself.
10x wagering cap myths vs facts
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| Wagering has been banned | It has been capped at 10x; a full ban was consulted on and rejected |
| 10x means you lose ten times the bonus | You stake ten times the bonus; the average loss is the stake multiplied by the house edge |
| The cap only covers welcome offers | The code applies to incentives generally, including existing-customer promotions |
| A 10x bonus is always better than no-wagering spins | It depends on the size, deadline and terms; compare the average value |
| Bonuses got bigger after the cap | Casinos have tended to offer smaller matched bonuses and more wager-free spins |
For a direct comparison of the two main offer types now on the market, see no wagering vs low wagering, and for a judgement on what counts as reasonable, what is a fair wagering requirement. More practical explainers are in the guides hub.
Elsewhere on the site: How to check a casino licence, Latest casino bonus rules, Latest Coral offer and New PayPal casinos.
Keep reading: New slot sites UK, New casino checker, Latest slots offers UK and PlayOJO vs Casumo.
Everything here is dated. Offers and facts were last checked on 5 October 2026; this is not a live feed. Casino details come from each casino's published terms and help pages and the Gambling Commission's public register. How we check. 18+. Free help: 0808 8020 133 or safer gambling.
Frequently asked questions
How did the 10x cap change bonuses?
It cut the cost of clearing a bonus sharply and made most matched bonuses worth something on average. Before 19 January 2026, a £25 bonus at 35x needed £875 of stakes, costing about £35 on average at a 96% RTP, more than the bonus. At 10x it needs £250, costing about £10 and leaving around £15 on average. Casinos responded with smaller matched bonuses, more wager-free spins and shorter deadlines, so terms such as expiry and payment exclusions now separate offers more than the multiplier. See the 10x wagering cap for the rule itself.
What was typical before?
Wagering of 30x to 50x the bonus was typical at UK casinos before the cap, and some offers applied it to the deposit and bonus combined. The Gambling Commission's own example was a £10 bonus at 50x, which required £500 of play before winnings could be withdrawn. At those levels the average cost of clearing a bonus usually exceeded the bonus, so many players lost the bonus and some of their deposit trying to meet the terms. Offers also often mixed products, such as a sports bet unlocking casino spins. Our what changed in 2026 guide sets this against other rule changes.
When did it change?
The 10x wagering cap took effect on 19 January 2026, together with the ban on promotions that mix gambling products. The Gambling Commission announced both rules on 26 March 2025 after a consultation that ran from 29 November 2023 to 21 February 2024. The start date was first set for 19 December 2025 and moved to 19 January 2026 in July 2025. From that date every UK-licensed operator had to keep bonus wagering at ten times or less. The rule sits in the licence conditions and codes of practice as social responsibility code 5.1.1. See the latest bonus rules.
What should I compare now?
Compare deadlines, payment rules and the real value of the offer, since the multiplier is now 10x or lower everywhere. Check how many days you have to claim or wager, which payment methods are excluded, the maximum bet, which games count and whether winnings are capped. Then work out the face value and the average cost of any wagering. For example, Casumo's £10 bonus on a £20 deposit needs £100 of stakes in 7 days, while PlayOJO's 80 spins at 10p need no wagering. 18+, terms apply. Our guide to comparing casino bonuses sets out the checks.
What is GAMSTOP?
GAMSTOP is the free national self-exclusion scheme that blocks you from gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain. You choose a period between 6 months and 5 years, and you can't cancel it early. When the period ends, the exclusion stays in place until you ask GAMSTOP to remove it. Every online operator has had to take part since 31 March 2020, and must refuse service, close your account and return your funds. It covers online gambling only, not betting shops or land-based casinos. See the GAMSTOP requirement for the rules operators follow.
Where can I get help with gambling?
The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day on 0808 8020 133, with live chat and WhatsApp as well. You can also refer yourself to NHS gambling clinics in England, call the NHS Wales Helpline on 0808 2819 265 in Wales, or join a free Gamblers Anonymous meeting. To block access, use GAMSTOP, a bank gambling block on your debit card or blocking software such as Gamban. If money worries are part of the picture, debt advice charities can help too. Our free gambling support guide lists every service.
Have you tested these casinos with real money?
No. Latest Casinos is a desk-based site and says so: we do not deposit, play or time withdrawals. Every offer is read from the casino's published terms on the date shown, licence details come from the Gambling Commission's public register, and payment details come from each casino's help centre. Where a fact is not published, we say so and tell you to check the cashier rather than guess. That approach is slower to update than a live feed, which is why every page carries a last-checked date. The how we rate page explains the full method.
Does commission change what you report?
No. The site earns commission when readers join partner casinos through labelled advert links, but commercial relationships do not affect the facts, scores or order of entries. Offer terms are reported as published, including the restrictions, and the site points out when a partner's offer is not an exact match for the topic of a page. Adverts are marked as such and carry 18+ and terms notices. We only promote casinos licensed by the Gambling Commission. The advertiser disclosure explains how the site is funded and how adverts are labelled.
How do I know an offer page is out of date?
Wagering above ten times the bonus, or a sports bet unlocking casino spins, means the page predates 19 January 2026 or describes an unlicensed site. Other signs are no visible date, credit cards listed as a payment option (banned since April 2020), autoplay or turbo spins mentioned for UK slots (banned since October 2021), or stake limits above £5 on slots. An out-of-date page is not necessarily dishonest, but its sums will be wrong. Check the casino's own terms before depositing. Our guide to spotting an outdated offer lists six signs.
Does the 10x wagering cap apply to offers for existing customers?
Yes. The rule in the licence conditions applies to incentives generally, not only welcome offers, so reload bonuses, free spins promotions and loyalty rewards that carry wagering must also stay at 10x or below. The same January 2026 change also banned time-based conditions that tied an incentive's value to gambling for a set length of time or at a set frequency. Existing-customer offers must also be clear and fair, and marketing for them needs your consent by product and channel since 1 May 2025. See free spins for existing customers for how these offers work now.
Does the 10x cap apply to free spins winnings?
Where free spins winnings are paid as bonus funds, any wagering on them counts as bonus wagering, so the 10x ceiling applies. Many UK free spins offers go further and pay winnings in cash with no wagering, including the current welcome spins at Coral, Ladbrokes and PlayOJO. If a free spins offer does attach wagering, the multiplier should be shown against the winnings, for example 10x £6 of winnings meaning £60 of stakes. 18+, terms apply. Our guide to free spins winnings explains how winnings are credited.
Is 10x wagering the same as 10 times my deposit?
No. The cap is set against the bonus funds, so 10x on a £20 bonus is £200 of stakes, whatever you deposited. Before 2026 some offers applied wagering to the deposit and bonus combined, which doubled the staking on a 100% match. Our facts don't confirm whether the code allows any wagering on the deposit itself, so if an offer's terms mention wagering your deposit, ask the casino to explain how it fits the cap. Casumo and 10bet both state 10x on the bonus amount. 18+, terms apply. See how wagering requirements work.
Why didn't the Gambling Commission ban wagering requirements completely?
The Commission consulted on an outright ban but chose a 10x cap instead, announcing the decision on 26 March 2025. Its stated aim was to make promotions safer and simpler while keeping clear, fair incentives possible. A cap removes the very high multipliers that kept players gambling for long periods to unlock a bonus, without banning bonuses outright. Casinos remain free to offer wager-free promotions, and many now do. The reasoning is set out in the consultation response. Our page on why casinos have wagering requirements explains the commercial side.
Are casino bonuses better value since the 10x cap?
On average, yes: at 10x the average cost of clearing a bonus at a 96% RTP slot is about 40% of the bonus, where at 35x it was about 140%. A £50 bonus that cost about £70 to clear now costs about £20, leaving around £30 on average. Casinos have, however, tended to reduce matched bonus sizes and shorten deadlines, so the headline amounts are often smaller. Remember that these are averages and any bonus still involves staking your own money. 18+, terms apply. See low wagering casino bonuses for current examples.
Related pages
Sources
- Gambling promotions to be safer and simpler (opens in a new tab)
- Socially responsible incentives: Consultation Response - Executive summary (opens in a new tab)
- 5.1.1 Rewards and bonuses – SR code (opens in a new tab)
- Online gambling (CMA case) (opens in a new tab)
- High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age (HTML) (opens in a new tab)
- Annex 1: Summary of changes to RTS (opens in a new tab)