How to clear a bonus

How to clear a bonus: what clearing actually means

A bonus with wagering sits in a separate bonus balance that can be played with but not withdrawn. Clearing it means completing the conditions that turn that balance into ordinary cash: staking the required total, on eligible games, inside the time limit, without breaking any rule along the way. When the target is met, the remaining bonus balance converts (some casinos call this bonus conversion) and can be withdrawn like any other money.

Clearing isn't something you do to the casino; it's simply finishing the offer as written. There's no method that improves the odds: every stake still carries the game's house edge. The rest of this guide, one of our casino bonus guides, is about doing it with your eyes open.

What to note before you start clearing a bonus

Five details decide whether a bonus can be cleared comfortably. Find them in the terms before you opt in, because some can't be changed later.

Both offers are for new customers aged 18 or over, and terms apply. If a figure you need isn't in the terms, ask support and keep the reply. Our pages on Casumo bonus wagering and 10bet bonus wagering go through each offer clause by clause.

Cash balance and bonus balance while you clear

With a deposit bonus you usually hold two balances: your own deposited cash and the bonus. Casinos differ on which is used first and on whether winnings from cash stakes are tied to the bonus, so read the section of the terms on how funds are used. Our guide on how bonus funds and cash are used explains the common arrangements, including sticky and non-sticky bonuses.

Under the CMA's 2018 online gambling undertakings (opens in a new tab), players must be able to withdraw their own deposited money while a bonus is in play. That protects your cash, but withdrawing it may mean the bonus is cancelled. If that happens, it's the offer working as described, not a penalty.

Tracking bonus wagering progress

Most casinos show a progress bar or a "wagered so far" figure in the bonus section of your account. Check it after each session rather than keeping a mental tally, because excluded games and weighting can make your own estimate wrong. If the displayed figure doesn't match your stakes, ask support to explain the difference.

The cost column is a long-run average, not what will happen. A balance can rise or fall sharply on any spin, and it often runs out before the target. The glossary entry on wagering progress and our guide on how to track bonus progress explain how casinos calculate and show the figure.

Checking that the deadline fits your normal play

Divide the target by the days allowed and by your usual stake. 10bet's £250 over 3 days at 50p a spin is about 167 spins a day; at £1 it's about 84. Casumo's £1,000 over 7 days at £1 is about 143 spins a day. With UK slots taking at least 2.5 seconds a spin, 150 spins is a little over six minutes of spinning at the very fastest, and real sessions run much longer.

If the daily figure is more than you'd normally play, that's a reason to skip the bonus or choose a smaller deposit, not to play longer. Raising stakes to finish sooner is limited anyway: Casumo's max bet is £5, and the online slot stake limits cap spins at £5 for players aged 25 and over and £2 for 18 to 24-year-olds. Our wagering calculator turns any offer into a daily figure.

Rules that can void a bonus before it clears

Offer terms set out conduct that cancels a bonus and any winnings from it. The common ones are:

• Betting over the max bet while the bonus is active, even once.
• Playing excluded games, which may also count nothing towards the target.
• Missing the deadline, after which the unconverted bonus is removed.
• Opening more than one account or claiming a new-customer offer twice; see multi-accounting.
• Using an excluded payment method, which can mean the bonus is never credited in the first place.
• Patterns the terms call irregular play, which casinos define in their own wording.

These rules exist so the offer is used as intended, and casinos can check accounts before paying out. Trying to get round them puts the bonus and the winnings at risk and can lead to an account restriction. Since the Commission's code 5.1.1 (opens in a new tab) requires terms to be clear and fair, you're entitled to a straight answer about what any rule means. If you think a bonus was removed unfairly, the steps in when a casino can void winnings will help.

What usually happens when you try to clear a bonus

Three endings are possible: the balance runs out before the target, the target is met with something left over, or you stop part-way. The first is common, because the average cost of wagering eats into the balance and slot results swing widely. With the 10x cap, the average cost is smaller than it used to be (about £10 on a £25 bonus at 96% RTP, compared with about £35 on the same bonus at an old-style 35x), but it's still a cost.

Remember that your deposit is staked too. Clearing a bonus is a way of finishing an offer, not a way to make money, and a bonus doesn't make gambling cheaper or safer overall. Our honest look at whether a casino bonus is worth it runs through the trade-offs.

After the bonus clears: conversion and withdrawal

When the target is met, the remaining bonus becomes cash, subject to any max win cap: 10bet removes bonus winnings above £1,000. You may be asked for documents before a withdrawal is approved, so it helps to have completed verification early. Published payout times then apply.

• Casumo: its withdrawal policy (opens in a new tab) says requests are approved or denied within 3 days; after approval, cards take up to 2 days, bank transfers up to 5 days, and PayPal, Apple Pay, Skrill, Neteller and MuchBetter are paid instantly. A £3 fee applies to withdrawals below £10.
• 10bet: its help centre article on withdrawal times (opens in a new tab) lists up to 2 business days for debit cards and e-wallets and up to 3 business days for bank transfers.
• Coral and Ladbrokes: internal approval first, then instantly to five banking days depending on the method; neither charges withdrawal fees.

UK rules also stop casinos letting you reverse a withdrawal once requested. See how long withdrawals take after a bonus for more.

How to clear a bonus step by step

1. Before opting in, write down the target in pounds, the deadline, the max bet, the games that count and any max win.
2. Make sure your payment method qualifies, then deposit and opt in as the terms describe.
3. Confirm the bonus has been credited and the progress tracker has started.
4. Play only eligible games, at or below the max bet, within your own budget.
5. Check progress after each session and keep a note of anything that looks wrong.
6. Stop whenever you choose; if the balance runs out, the offer has ended.
7. Once the target is met, check the bonus has converted, then request a withdrawal if you wish.

Bonuses that need no clearing at all

No-wagering offers skip the whole process. Spin winnings go straight to your cash balance, so there's no target, tracker or conversion. The three spin offers we list all work this way, and our guides to no wagering bonuses and how no wagering spins pay out explain the mechanics. The trade-off is value: they're usually smaller than a match bonus at the same deposit.

When to stop clearing or opt out

You never have to finish a bonus. If the deadline is pushing you to play more than you meant to, or you're depositing again to keep going, stop. Many casinos let you remove a bonus from your account (keeping your cash balance), and our guide on how to opt out of bonuses explains how. Deposit limits, time-outs and reality checks are all available in your account.

If gambling stops feeling like entertainment, the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 is free and open 24 hours a day, run by GamCare (opens in a new tab). Our safer gambling page lists other support.

Partner offers with nothing to clear

If you'd rather not clear a bonus at all, the three offers below come closest, because spin winnings carry no wagering. Coral (18+, new players): deposit and bet £10 or more on slots for 100 spins at 10p on selected games, accept within 48 hours, valid 7 days; Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify. Ladbrokes (18+, new customers): play £10 on slots for 50 spins a day over 10 days, up to 500 at 10p, claim before 23:59 daily, valid 7 days; prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers don't qualify. PlayOJO (18+, new UK customers excluding Northern Ireland): 80 spins at 10p on Big Bass Bonanza with a first deposit of £10 or more, winnings paid in cash.

Casumo (50% up to £100, 10x in 7 days) and 10bet (100% up to £25, 10x on slots in 3 days) are the ones to clear. Coral and Ladbrokes share an operator, so check the terms before joining both.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: set a budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.