Wagering requirements explained: what 35x means & the UK 10x cap

How a wagering multiple turns into pounds of betting, how game weighting, bet limits & winnings caps change the sum, & what the Gambling Commission’s rules changed on 19 January 2026.

What a wagering requirement is

A wagering requirement is a rule that you must place bets totalling a set amount before you can withdraw money linked to a promotional offer. A 2026 paper in the Journal of Gambling Studies by Jamie Torrance & colleagues describes this as consumers having to wager “their bonus funds, matched deposits, or any winnings from bonus bets multiple times over” before they can withdraw (Torrance et al.).

The requirement is usually written as a multiple, such as 50x. The Gambling Commission gives its own example: “a £10 bonus with a 50 times wagering requirement requires the consumer to play through £500 before the winnings can be withdrawn.”

Some offers applied the multiple to more than the bonus. In a ruling on a Sapphire Rooms advert, run by Nektan (Gibraltar) Ltd & seen on 13 January 2017, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) quoted terms setting wagering at “30x the sum of your deposit and bonus amount”, with a £10 deposit plus a £10 bonus needing £600 of play.

What 35x means in pounds

The basic sum is the bonus multiplied by the multiple. On the Gambling Commission’s £10 bonus, 35x means £350 of bets, while its 50x example needs £500.

Torrance & colleagues use a “welcome bonus” of 150% on a first deposit. A £20 deposit brings a £30 bonus, & at x50 the player must wager £1,500 to withdraw it. At 35x, the same £30 bonus would need £1,050 of bets.

The total counts every stake, so the Commission describes players re-staking winnings “multiple times” before they can withdraw them. An opinion piece in iGaming Business said that before the January 2026 changes UK bonuses were “buried under 35x, 40x or even 65x wagering requirements”.

Game weighting: why some bets count less

Game weighting, also called game contribution, sets how much a bet on each game counts towards the requirement. Respondents to a Gambling Commission consultation described it as a way “to control how quickly a customer can play through a game”.

In an example given by those respondents, a bonus might carry 10 times wagering on all slots but be “weighted at 50 percent for blackjack and 30 percent for roulette”. With a £100 bonus & 10 times wagering, on roulette “each £1 you wager contributes 30 pence towards the wagering requirement.”

The bonus needs £1,000 of qualifying play. On slots that is £1,000 of bets.

The Commission said it did not think it necessary “to review rules on weightings attached to wagering requirements at this time”, but expected terms to be “clear and transparent to consumers”.

Max-bet rules & confiscated winnings

Promotions can also restrict how you play, for example by setting a maximum bet size. On 22 November 2017, after joint work with the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA), the Gambling Commission listed its concerns about online promotions.

These included “promotion specific play restrictions (eg maximum bet sizes, weighted wagering game requirements)” that were not set out clearly & “can have serious consequences for consumers, including the confiscation of deposits and winnings”.

The Commission also cited “restrictions on customers being able to withdraw their deposit balance and any winnings generated from deposits”, & players being unable to tell which balance, bonus or deposit, they were about to play. It said the CMA had found that many operators “could be breaking consumer protection law”.

Caps on winnings & time limits

Some offers limit how much bonus funds can turn into. The Sapphire Rooms terms in the ASA ruling said “The maximum conversion amount from bonus funds will be capped at 4X the bonus amount awarded”, so a £100 bonus could convert to no more than £400 in cash.

The ASA found the 30x wagering requirement was clear in the ad, but said of the cap: “We considered that this was a significant condition to the offer that should have been included in the ad.” It upheld the complaint, found breaches of the CAP Code & ruled the ad must not appear again in its current form.

Time also matters. Torrance & colleagues write that wagering typically has to be completed “within a limited and prespecified timeframe, such as 30 days”.

The UK’s 10x cap since 19 January 2026

On 26 March 2025 the Gambling Commission announced that operators would be limited on how many times bonus funds must be re-staked. The changes came into force on 19 January 2026, after the date was moved from 19 December 2025.

The Commission had consulted on a ban or caps of 1, 5 or 10 times. It chose 10, meaning that for its licensees “any wagering requirements attached to incentives (such as bonuses) must not exceed 10 times the incentive amount” (consultation response).

The Commission said: “Capping the wagering requirement to ten decreases the likelihood of harm, reduces complexity, and improves transparency while maintaining consumer choice.” Under the cap, a £10 bonus can require at most £100 of bets.

According to iGaming Business, some operators now promote “£5 deposits and 10x wagering” & “low and no-wagering bonuses with transparent terms”. Torrance & colleagues note the rules do not require worked examples in adverts.

The ban on mixed-product offers

From the same date, licensees “must not include more than one type of gambling product (betting, casino, bingo and lottery) within an incentive”, as set out in a Commission blog by Pradeep Rajania posted on 12 December 2025.

The blog says an offer of “Bet £5 and get 20 free spins” is non-compliant because it mixes betting with a casino prize. “Bet £5 to get a free £5 bet” is compliant.

There is an exception where the customer can choose freely which product category to use a bonus on. The blog lists “Bet £5 to get £10 credit or bonus to be used on all products available” as compliant.

Explaining the ban, the Commission said “evidence shows consumers are more at risk of harm when they gamble on multiple products rather than a single product”, & that mixed offers risk confusing people with complex terms.

Why bonus costs are easy to misjudge

In the Torrance study, accepted on 17 March 2026, 585 UK bettors were randomly shown a welcome bonus with or without a worked example. Those without one gave “a median estimate of £500 versus the correct value of £750”, & underestimation did not differ by gambling severity.

The offer was “rated significantly less attractive” when the worked example was shown. That drop was smaller among people with higher gambling severity scores.

Respondents to the Commission’s consultation said “very high wagering requirements lead to lower comprehension of how much is needed to bet”. The Commission said such requirements “could confuse consumers and lead them to gamble for longer, and faster, than they are used to”.

Chasing losses & getting help

Torrance & colleagues summarise evidence that financial inducements can encourage harmful gambling, including “loss-chasing behaviours”, especially among people reporting higher gambling severity.

The NHS includes “Have you tried to win back money you have lost (chasing losses)?” among its questions for checking whether gambling is causing problems. Its advice includes: “do not view gambling as a way to make money”.

The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, can be called on 0808 8020 133 for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, according to the NHS.

Questions

What does 35x wagering mean?

It means betting 35 times the bonus amount before the bonus or its winnings can be withdrawn, so a £10 bonus needs £350 of bets. Some older terms, such as those in an ASA ruling on a Sapphire Rooms advert, applied the multiple to deposit & bonus together.

What is the maximum wagering requirement in the UK?

Since 19 January 2026, Gambling Commission licensees must not set wagering requirements above 10 times the incentive amount. The cap was announced on 26 March 2025.

Why does roulette count less towards wagering?

Offers can apply game weighting. In an example given by respondents to a Commission consultation, roulette is weighted at 30%, so each £1 bet counts as 30p.

Can a bonus offer combine sports betting & free spins in the UK?

Not since 19 January 2026. The Commission says “Bet £5 and get 20 free spins” is non-compliant, though a bonus the customer can freely use on any product category is allowed.

Where can I get help if gambling is causing problems?

The NHS lists the National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, on 0808 8020 133, free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It also lists NHS gambling treatment clinics in England & several charities.

Sources

• gamblingcommission.gov.uk
• gamblingcommission.gov.uk
• gamblingcommission.gov.uk
• cronfa.swan.ac.uk
• igamingbusiness.com
• gamblingcommission.gov.uk
• asa.org.uk
• nhs.uk

Sources checked 31 October 2026. Information only. 18+.