What happens if I break bonus terms?

What happens if I break bonus terms: the short answer

Breaking a bonus term normally costs you the bonus, not your account. The casino cancels the promotional balance and any winnings that came from it, then returns you to playing with cash only. Our bonus forfeiture entry explains the term.

How far it goes depends on what was broken. An accidental £6 spin on a bonus with a £5 limit is treated very differently from opening a second account to claim a welcome offer twice. The first usually ends the bonus; the second can end the relationship.

Two things stay protected whatever happened. Money you deposited and haven’t staked remains your property, and the casino has to tell you exactly which rule it says you broke. Those protections come from Gambling Commission guidance and consumer law, covered below.

Consequences by type of breach

The table shows how the most common breaches are usually handled. The exact outcome is set in each casino’s terms, which must say in advance what will happen.

Notice that several rows aren’t really penalties. Missing a deadline or using an excluded method simply means the offer doesn’t apply. Our guide to common bonus mistakes collects the ones that catch people out most often.

What a casino can’t take when you break bonus terms

Gambling Commission guidance on confiscating un-staked deposits (opens in a new tab) says money you have deposited but not yet staked remains your property, and terms must not allow it to be taken except where a general regulatory duty requires it. A broken bonus rule is not such a duty.

The same body of guidance says you must be able to withdraw your deposit balance at any time, even with a bonus active, and that wagering requirements can’t be imposed on your own money. See can I withdraw my deposit with a bonus active for how this works in a live account.

• Can be removed: the bonus balance, winnings that came from bonus play, unused free spins.
• Should not be removed for a bonus breach: un-staked deposits, cash winnings from earlier play under different terms.
• Separate question: fraud or anti-money-laundering concerns, where other legal duties apply.

Accidental breaches: max bet, wrong game and expired windows

Most breaches are slips rather than schemes. These three cause the bulk of forfeits.

Going over the max bet

Casumo’s terms set a maximum of £5 per bet while a bonus is active. Raise a stake to £6 and the terms allow the bonus to be removed, even if you played correctly for the rest of the session. Players aged 18–24 are capped at £2 a spin on slots by law anyway. The limit exists to stop large swings with promotional money.

Playing the wrong game

10bet’s welcome bonus must be wagered 10x on slots. Bonus stakes on other games either don’t count or, if the terms bar them, can be voided. Our page on games excluded from bonuses lists the usual suspects.

Running out of time

Deadlines are short: 3 days at 10bet, 7 days at Casumo, 7 days to use Coral and Ladbrokes spins. Missing one isn’t a breach that triggers penalties; the bonus simply lapses.

Serious breaches: multiple accounts and third-party funding

Commission guidance names multi-accounting, third-party use or funding of an account, and illegal, irregular or fraudulent play as areas where terms set out tougher action. These can mean voided winnings and a closed account.

Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited. Claiming each one’s welcome offer may count as claiming twice, so check the terms rather than assuming. Our answers on claiming a bonus on a second account and what bonus abuse is set out where the lines are drawn.

We don’t give advice on getting round bonus terms. Using a VPN, another person’s details or extra accounts breaks the terms and puts any winnings at risk.

UK rules on how casinos enforce bonus terms

The Commission’s guidance on promotional play restrictions (opens in a new tab) is the key text. It says terms must clearly specify every prohibited type or pattern of play, operators must not ban a form of play that wasn’t set out in advance, and when winnings are lost you must get a full explanation of the breach.

A separate page on undue discretion says operators must not reserve sole discretion to decide what counts as a breach, and wording such as ‘may’ or ‘reserves the right’ to void winnings should be avoided because customers are entitled to know what will happen. These standards sit under licence condition 7.1.1 on fair and transparent terms.

Consumer law adds weight. Under section 62 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (opens in a new tab), an unfair term is not binding on you, and section 69 says an ambiguous term is read in the way most favourable to the consumer. More on this in unfair terms under the Consumer Rights Act.

Enforcement does happen. In July 2025 the Commission fined Taichi Tech Limited £170,000, partly for a term allowing it to close accounts or forfeit winnings at its discretion.

Worked example: a 10bet bonus and one wrong move

Say you deposit £25 at 10bet and take the 100% welcome bonus, so you have £25 cash and £25 bonus. The terms ask for 10 × £25 = £250 of slot wagering within 3 days, with bonus winnings capped at £1,000.

The bonus doesn’t change the cost of play. £250 of slot stakes at a 4% house edge costs about £10 on average, and a three-day window means fitting that much play into a short time. Our wagering calculator runs the numbers for other amounts.

What to do if a casino says you broke the terms

1. Ask for the exact term and the play that the casino says breached it, in writing.
2. Compare it with the version of the terms that applied when you opted in. Screenshots help.
3. If the term is vague, or the rule wasn’t set out in advance, say so and cite the Commission’s promotional play guidance.
4. Make a formal complaint under the casino’s published procedure and keep the reference number.
5. If it isn’t resolved within 8 weeks, or you get a final response you disagree with, take it to the casino’s named dispute service, such as IBAS.
6. If you think the casino broke licence rules, report it to the Gambling Commission as well, though it doesn’t settle individual disputes.

Our guides on when a casino can void winnings and escalating a bonus complaint to IBAS cover each step in more detail.

How to stay inside the terms from the start

• Read the significant terms box before depositing, especially max bet, eligible games and deadlines.
• Note the payment methods that don’t qualify and use one that does.
• Keep one account per brand, and check sister-brand rules for Coral and Ladbrokes.
• Set a deposit limit so the bonus doesn’t push you beyond your budget.
• Say no to a bonus if its rules don’t fit how you like to play; our page on whether to opt out helps decide.

No-wagering free spins leave fewer rules to break, because winnings are paid as cash. That is one reason they suit people who don’t want to track wagering.

Offers with fewer terms to trip over

Our three spin offers have no wagering, so there is no max-bet-with-bonus or wagering deadline to break. Coral: 18+, new players, deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10+ on slots for 100 free spins at 10p, accept within 48 hours, valid 7 days. Ladbrokes: 18+, new customers, deposit and spend £10+ on slots for 50 free spins a day for 10 days (max 500, 10p each), claim before 23:59 daily, valid 7 days.

PlayOJO: 18+, new UK customers excluding Northern Ireland, £10 first deposit for 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p, winnings paid in cash, not combinable with other offers. Terms apply to all. Each still has payment exclusions and time limits. More answers are in our casino bonus questions hub, and full terms in casino bonuses.

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.